A Football Team
by McSwarekforlife
Summary: On a Thursday, she had been acting weird all day...
1. Expanding

**A football team.**

* * *

On a Thursday, she had been acting weird all day. A few times during dayshift, he had actually twisted his head trying to figure out of this particular day was one that he was supposed to remember for some marital reason. He even asked Traci if he had forgotten a anniversary or something.

That was not it.

On the ride home, she didn`t say a single word, but kept fidgeting with the damn radio. He wanted to say something sarcastic, but kept his mouth shut.

When she barely touched her dinner, he thought maybe something had happened on shift that had made her this jumpy and out of herself.

"Andy, what`s wrong? something happened on shift today?"

She was standing by the sink, letting the water run over their plates before she stocked them up in the dishwasher.

"No. Nothing happened. Why?"

"Because you`re acting all weird and jumpy, and I can`t come up with a reliable reason for why..." 

* * *

Four months into married life, and the universe really seemed to be on their side for a change. With everything that had happened these last few years, he can`t for the life of him understand how she still wanted to be by his side, let alone agree to marry him when he had asked her almost a year ago.

Another thing he still couldn`t believe was that Andy chose to stick by his side despite the bomb Marlo had dropped on them a year and a half ago.

Little Ava, his little girl, that now was the next most important thing in his life, because no matter what, Andy would never come second or third.

The co-parenting between him, Andy and Marlo, had always been solid. They had shared custody, fifty-fifty with every other week and weekends. The had fallen into a stabile and good pattern, making sure Ava had stability and great routines in her life.

They also knew it would be hard. Especially on Andy, trying to find her place in something she felt she was not suppose to be a part of in the first place. She had struggled in the beginning, when Ava was born, is the thing, but he got it, he did. She was really making an effort, trying to love her and find a comfortable place. It wasn`t easy but she did it. Every day, she amazes him more and more, his wife. The way she gives Ava safety, love and affection. It just... - his _wife_! If he hadn`t been this in love with her know -

well. 

* * *

_It was the first time Ava would stay with them the whole weekend. Barely a month old, and he was... nervous is the thing here. As much as he wanted to rely on Andy, he felt that he... that wasn`t fare, on her._

 _She was struggling, trying to find her place in all of this. It was everything but easy, and he would give her all the time she needed._

 _During the first night, he had woken up, found the spot next to him with cold sheets. He had gotten out of bed and walked down the hall. The small lamp in the nursery was on and he stopped outside once he heard her voice. Calm and soft and filled with soothing words._

 _"... and so, you know... we`ve always been complicated Ava... and when you came into this world, it didn`t get any better, but you... you`re a baby, a beautiful one too in fact, and you are so innocent and you never asked to be in the middle of any of this. I`m really trying, I am, I just... you just need to be patient with me, okay princess?"_

 _She moved Ava from her chest and into a cradle position, so she could look at her."You know... months ago, when your daddy told me you were going to come, I was so... broken, I felt like every dream I had ever had for our future was being crushed and stamped on. I always thought I was going to be the one that gave your daddy his first child... And as much as I wanted that for us, I realized that... it`s no such thing as a perfect family. You get what you need, not what you want... that`s how life works, and... I`m... okay with that now. I just really hope your daddy agrees to give you siblings..."_

 _Sam pulled his smile. Wide as can be. How could she doubt that? He would give her a football team if she wanted..._

 _"I also made your daddy a promise... I promised him, that I would be there, always. I promised that there wouldn`t be a day where you didn`t feel wanted or loved... and I`m making you that promise too Ava, okay? I know I`ll never be your real mother, but I will act as if I am, I`ll give you everything you need and deserve, and you`ll always be able to come to me...okay?"_

 _She smiled at Ava who was asleep again. Carefully, she got up from the rocking chair and placed the girl back in her crib. "Sweet dreams baby girl"._

 _"Sam?", she whispered, "What are you doing?"_

 _Without a word, he pulled her out of the room and led her into their bedroom. Gently pushing her down on the bed, he climbed on top and cupped her face with one hand._

 _"I`ll give you a football team of babies Andy. You have any idea how much I love you?"_

 _"Babies... what are you? You were eavesdropping on me weren't you?", she asked pretending to be mad._

 _"Cold sheets sweetheart... can`t have that. Needed to know where you were...", he said as he kissed her from the jaw and down, which, yeah okay, he knew she was going to make those moaning sounds, and... it didn`t bother him is the thing._

 _"Wouldn`t want you to run away from us you know...". He knew she would never, but honestly, sometimes he wouldn't blame her if she one day decided she needed to._

 _Butter flying her legs wide open for him to get room, she run her hands up his sides. "If you don't know by now, that I`m not going to run away Sam...I married you didn`t I?"._

 _When his lips was on hers, the amount of fabric that was keeping them apart vanished in a blink._

 _Nope, she wasn't going anywhere, his wife._

* * *

"So, you going to tell me what your thinking about?", he said cupping her face in his hands.

He had to tilt her head up for her to look at him, and once she did, he saw... something... new he thought. Something he couldn`t put his finger on.

"I...", she begun, only, she couldn`t say the words she so badly wanted to say. What she had been feeling these last days...

"Hey, it`s just me sweetheart".

And he was no wrong, her husband. It was just him.

"I... wantustohaveababy", she mumbled.

"What? I can`t hear you Andy".

"I want us to have a baby!"

He didn`t say anything, is the thing, and that... that made her somewhat nervous. "I know Ava is only six months old, but I really want one, and I don`t want to wait Sam, I`m almost twenty nine and I really think..."

He shut her up with a kiss. Not just any kiss, but a kiss that felt kind of new. Her knees went a little week, is the thing here, and her feet... a little like jelly.  
"Let`s make one then. Right now... or you know tonight, or tomorrow, whenever you want sweetheart", he smirked. Full out dimples and eyes on fire that she swore she had never ever seen before.

"I, yeah, let`s make one. Now, how about now Sam? Because I really think that..."

He scooped her up in his arms and left the kitchen, he did. Made contact with her lips and felt himself getting pretty hard already, is the thing.

"What are you going to do?", she asked as if she didn`t already know.

Laughing, he kissed her jaw. " What do you think I`m going to do Andy? I`m going to get you pregnant.. That`s what I`m going to do".

"Okay, yeah, do that please".

Sam, um, did that. 

* * *

**A completely fluffy one-shot I suddenly came up with. Based on the storyline of season six.**

 **I own nothing, except my imagination.**


	2. Gibberish at dawn

**Gibberish of dawn**

* * *

It`s the constant gibberish and little sounds that wakes her up from the sleep of the dead.

* * *

She has been sleeping like the dead this pregnancy, Andy has.

She is pretty sure that she could sleep for 14 hours straight, only that is never an option. Well into her sixth month of waddling, she feels like a zombie and constantly sleepwalks her way through _any_ shift. Even desk duty is draining, but being Andy, she is fully determined to work all through it.

Sam has turned into a different person entirely during this six months, and it`s pushing her buttons a little is the thing. If she thinks he was being overprotective before she got pregnant,

well.

This goes way beyond that. He is like a hawk on shift. Has at least one open eye on her the whole time and if he is due to be outside of the division, he shoves the task of keeping Andy safe on someone else. Mostly Oliver, who finds this whole thing both absurd and completely understandable. So, he takes the task fully committed. He`s a little afraid here, the staff sergeant. He won`t for the life of him want to be in trouble for not keeping Sam Swarek's pregnant wife safe and out of trouble.

Andy? Feels chained to the chair and can`t seem to take a bathroom break without being followed by hawk eyes or overprotective cops that goes out of their way to keep pillows on every inch of her body.

* * *

She wakes up. And after scanning the bedroom, she can most definitely say it`s still night time. She groans, as she feels a foot, or an arm throw a light punch right into her bladder. She carefully lifts away Sam`s protective arm away from her belly and climbs out of the warm bed and head for the bathroom.

She just closed the bathroom door all silent and gentle, avoiding to wake up her husband, that is due to wake up in exactly three hours for his morning shift, when she swore she heard something from Ava`s room down the hall.

She paused for a second.

She was awake, no denying that. She was talking gibberish and giggling, something she had started doing these last few weeks. Never did she cry that kid of his. Truthfully, she was glad she was an easy child. Made her think that they got a soft start on parenthood. She already felt like a parent, Andy did. But knew that the one she was carrying would make it different for her, for them.

Sometimes, when she thought about all the things that she would get to do for a first time, she immediately felt guilt over it. She knew she would feel something else for her own child then for Ava, course she would, but it didn`t make her feel any less as a bad person.

That was what made her head out for the nursery herself, and not wake up Sam.

* * *

"Hey princess, why are you not sleeping?", Andy cooed, as she bent down over Ava`s crib and stroke the dark curls of her hair.

Ava pulled out her smile and the dimples her father had given her and held out her tiny arms, hinting that she wanted to be scooped up.

Obeying her stepdaughters demands, she sat them down in the rocking chair by the window. "Little girls like yourself should be sleeping now Ava", she said to the girl, running her fingers through Ava`s soft curls.

At a year and two months, Ava was a happy baby it seemed. Having to less than four parents in her life, now that Marlo just moved in with her boyfriend, they were nothing like a perfect, normal family, but it was the family they ended up building, at now, she wouldn`t want to change it for anything. They were happy, and she truly loved Ava, she did. She used to think that it would be harder, but she really adored the little girl, and made sure she was safe, happy and loved, and to be honest, she didn`t _hate_ , the moments spent with her on their own.

"Mo!", Ava squealed in Andy's arms. They weren't sure of what that meant, but she liked to think that she was trying to say a reference to mommy, mama or mom. "Da", was already a part of Ava`s vocabulary, and Andy will never forget how emotional Sam got the day she said it.

That day, she fell in love a whole lot more, is the thing here.

"You should be sleeping baby girl", Andy cooed as she placed a kiss to the girls hair. Ava pulled out her pacifier and waved the thing above her head. Giggles and sounds coming out of her tiny lips. Yeah, Ava was having _none_ of it. She was awake, the girl.

"This is your plan huh? Keeping me awake all night? Just you wait... one day you`ll learn how to value your sleep", Andy said as a yawn escaped her.

 _"Hush, little Ava don`t say a word,  
we`re gonna buy you mockingbird,  
And if that mockingbird don`t sing,  
we`re gonna buy tou a diamond ring.  
_ _  
And if that diamond ring turns brass,_ _  
_ _We`re gonna buy you a looking glass_ ".

Andy sang to the girl, and just as she thought, the girl fluttered her eyes and drifted away. She put Ava down in her crib again, and pulled her blanket over the tiny body.

* * *

She climbed into the warm bed again, and snuggled close against the warm body next to her. Getting comfortable against him, she closed her eyes at last.

Yeah, no, Andy was not going back to sleep. Wide awake, she wanted to punch Sam on his side and make him wake up too.

Andy didn`t.

Instead she laid there, wide awake at 03.14 in the middle of the night. In less than three hours, they would need to get up. Come to think of it, Sam would need to get up and attend to his daughter, while Andy herself got an extra fifteen minutes on the pillow.

Yeah, he could just try to drag her out of the bed at 06.00 AM.

Sam didn`t.

* * *

 **I decided to turn this story into several one-shots. They won`t be in complete order, but I have high hopes for it.**

 **Stay tuned :)**


	3. Swings and a birdie

**Swings and a birdie**

* * *

Summary: On a Saturday, Sam takes his two kids to the park.

* * *

Sam Swarek loves taking his kids to the park on his days off. He and Andy try to do things with them whenever they find the time in their busy schedule, and he is a firm believer in activities that doesn't involve being coped inside the house.

So, the park.

Andy is at home. (hopefully asleep). She`s having the worst time of her life with pregnancy number two (already). It's still a little hard to believe is the thing.

Kid number three. At least for him in the most biological way. Three kids in three years, is what they are getting themselves into here.

Ava is two and a half and Mason is barely six months, which makes him think that maybe they shouldn`t be having a third kid just yet. (Vividly remembers the day he came home from shift and found his wife in tears on the toilet upstairs. Four pregnancy tests in hand. And Mason was only three months old. Andy couldn`t be happier. Turns out the tears was the happy kind. Just... uh his _wife_!)

He feels bad though. She hadn`t even started her birth control yet, and her body was still pulling together from a pretty dramatic childbirth that could have ended entirely different (thank god!)Yeah, Andy is having none of that. ' Mother nature', she explains whenever Sam brings it up. Mostly when he witness what pregnancy does to her. The nausea, the dizziness and the lack of appetite. (Pistachio ice cream and pealed apples is what Andy manages to eat and then keep down. He lets here eat whatever she wants', whenever she wants. She`s just... she is... becoming his hero, is the thing. And.. Yeah, whatever the wife wants, the wife gets. It`s the doe eyes he thinks is what does it for him.

Secretly, he wishes for another girl this time. A girl that is completely one hundred percent Andy. It, yeah, that would be great he thinks as he gently rocks Mason`s stroller.

Ava is safely placed in one of those kiddy swings, the once where you actually have to lift them up and place them in. Yeah, it makes him think she is a bit safer in one of those.

"Daddy, look at me! I`m high! Like the birdies Daddy!", Ava squeals. He chuckles. His Ava. She is... a lot like himself he thinks. Not all that much resembling from her mother. But he finds himself thanking god for that more often than not. He doesn`t mean to have those thoughts, but... Yeah, in a perfect world, Andy would be her mother and not Marlo.

They manage pretty good though. The whole co-parenting thing. It`s not the kind of family they wanted, but it`s the one they built, and it is pretty great. He peaks down on his son, and notices that he`s sleeping. He joins his girl on the swings. Just a few meters away from the stroller, and he`s got his eyes on it the whole time.

"Is it a big bird princess?", he ask, pushing the swing a little bit higher.

"It was a big birdie daddy! Can I go high too?"

He chuckles. "Ah, no Ava, birds fly very high, that wouldn`t be very smart. I wouldn`t want you to get hurt".

"No hurt Daddy, I want to fly".

"Tell you what. I`ll fly you down from the swings. It`s almost lunch time princess".

Ava giggles and raises her tiny hands up in the air. "Fly Daddy!"

She flies down from the swing, and lands safe and sound next the stroller.

"Come on Ava, let`s go home".

"I want mama".

His heart goes soft. Mama. Ava started calling Andy mama when she started to understand that she`s got a different family than most. Andy was mama and Marlo was mommy. It works is the thing.

"Me too", he says, and can`t wait to put her arms around her.

The ride home goes without a hitch. Ava wants' to tell mama about the swing and the birdie. She got to fly too.

With both his kids in his arms, he lets them inside carefully. If Andy is a sleep, he is not going to wake her up.

Turns out, he`s got nothing to worry about. His wife is perched on a bar stool behind the kitchen island making lunch.

"Mama, we are home!", Ava calls when she spots her stepmother in the kitchen.

"Hi! How was the park? Did tou have a good time princess?", she asked scooping her up, which earned her a well known look from Sam, telling her not to push it. Like she shouldn`t be lifting heavy or straining her body to that point. She glares back with the same 'tone'. Yeah, Andy`s having none of it.

"I sat on the swing and I was as high as the big birdie mama!". With the amount of enthusiasm Ava showed, she got that the trip to the park was successful.

Sam felt like a good daddy.


	4. Little Ava at dawn

**Little Ava at dawn**

* * *

Summary: For five months, Andy tried to prepare herself mentally for the day of her birth. When Marlo land herself in an E.R for c-section, Andy suddenly finds herself in a place she didn`t think she would be in. How does she handle it?

* * *

She had been at _Toronto East Detention Centre_ for a prison transfer with officers from 15 and when her phone got placed in a deposit box, she had no clue that Marlo had gone into labor a week early.

"Shit", she said as she noticed the 11 missed phone calls from her husband. For three weeks now, she had been a Swarek. The honeymoon had given her a new kind of energy and she felt like she could easily conquer the world, and let alone, be a bigger person when it came down to the little person that was going to join the world.

Still, when she read the text from Sam ' _Marlo in labor. I`m at Toronto General. Call me. I love you',_ she felt this uncomfortable tug in her stomach and a little ripping in her heart. It still hurt, is the thing, and no matter how hard she tried to ease herself with the fact that _they_ are married, she still wants' to scream and cry big ugly tears over the fact that _Marlo_ is the one making Sam a father for the very first time.

It sucks, is the thing. And as much as she wants to go home, have a few bottles of wine and cry herself to sleep, she sets her mind. She need to step up, and she needs to be there.

Thirty minutes later she finds herself walking down the hall at the maternity ward. The tug in her stomach is still there.

It should have been _me._ Is the thing she`s thinking. In a fair, perfect world, it should have been her, that was in one of those rooms, newborn on her chest and Sam b her side, who can`t keep his eyes of off his new daughter.

It`s Marlo.

She`s not completely sure that she even should be here, but she sits down in one of those uncomfortable chairs by the wall and... waits.

It`s not long though, before a nurse walks towards her. "Hi, are you Andy Swarek?"

"Uh, yes?"

"You`re husband is waiting for you. Follow me please".

Great. She assumes the nurse has gotten their whole messed up story served, and suddenly feels herself getting a bit embarrassed is the thing.

She don`t want to be here.

"Look, I really don`t think I`m needed in there. I can just..."

"No, don`t be silly. Your husband is waiting. In here", she says with the calmest voice, pointing to the nearest door.

She smiles _gratefully_ to the nurse and takes the deepest breath in her whole life, she`s sure of, before she knocks.

She hear a small 'Yeah', and knows it`s Sam voice.

"Hi sweetheart. There you are"

"Yeah, sorry, got held up with a prison transfer... how`s..."

Then she saw her. The smallest baby she had ever seen, and she was nestled against her father's chest.

"I... how`s Marlo?", she ask, as if Marlo is the person she is most concerned about.

Sam smiles, and from the way he looks at his her, she can tell he understand how she is feeling right now.

"Ah, c-section.. she`s in observation for a few hours", he explains, his eyes never letting go of hers.

"Andy, please come sit down", he almost begs, when he see her eyes getting... wet. She hesitates for e second, but let`s herself get pulled against where he is sitting with _his_ daughter.

She still really doesn't want to be here. Feels like she`s intruding in something she`s not a part of. Feels like this is not where she is supposed to be right now. But Sam, he... is her husband. They stick together through thick and thin, and despite the lack of enthusiasm and happiness she is feeling this second, over something that is so, so innocent and beautiful, because she is, his little girl is the thing, she knows that this isn`t what they had pictured, but it is what they`ve got, and that is okay too.

She lets out a breath and sits down next to them. The same second she softens one hundred percent and feels something different in her stomach then before. She smiles, and Sam smiles.

"She is beautiful Sam, she really is. She looks like you. I think she`s got your eyes and a little button nose. She`s going to adore you", she says, gently brushing a fingertip across the little girls cheek.

Sam smiles, and looks at his wife. "She`s going to adore you too Andy".

"Mmm", Andy replies, not letting her eyes leave the bundle in Sam`s arms. "She got a name yet?", she wants to know.

Sam smiles. "Marlo wanted to name her Ava. I...yeah, her name is Ava. You want to hold her`"

Andy hesitates. She is suddenly this unsecure rookie again, being handed a unknown task by her T.O, and not for a million years does she know what to do about it. But she`s not a rookie anymore, is the thing here.

"I, yeah, I want to hold her".

With Ava in her arms she feels it does something to her heart. Something she can`t remember ever have felt before. She thinks it`s good though, this feeling. It feels right.

"Hi Ava", she speaks softly, with a voice Sam has never heard her use before.

He loves this voice from his wife. Imagines her use it to _their_ kids too.

"Next time sweetheart", Sam starts. "Next time, it will be you in that hospital bed, holding our kid. Okay? Don`t ever doubt that".

"Yeah, it will".


	5. Bath time

**Bath time**

* * *

Summary: Bath time at the Swarek household is anything but boring.

* * *

"If you ever want to grow bigger like Ava and Mason, you have to eat your dinner pumpkin".

Yeah, it wasn`t really that easy to tell you the truth. An hour or so after the two oldest kids left the table, empty plates and filled up little belly's, their youngest, two year old Liliana, was having none of it is the thing here. And to make her point once again, she shoves her plate away. The small set doe eyes never leaving the hers.

If Andy had been the two year old that was served fish with broccoli and carrots, she would probably put up the same fight as well, but regardless, she was the adult and her kids _are_ going to eat this healthy crap.

It`s Sam that insist on their healthy diet the most. He gladly spends more money on good, organic foods, than sheep crap that is filled with god knows what. It makes him feel like a good dad.

He is.

Andy think it`s important too, of course she does, it`s just... it`s mostly her that is stuck with the little ones at dinner time. It`s her that is forced to be the 'bad guy', making them eat stuff they pretend to not think so highly of, and it`s her that ends up dealing with the fight they put up.

It sucks. And if her husband value fish and broccoli _that_ much, he can come home and force feed his kids himself, is more or less her thinking.

But she knows Sam wants to be home and not at work. They had been thrown a though case a few weeks back, and with Traci on maternity leave, Sam had his hands full, she knows it.

Andy is not the kind of parent that gives her kids options whenever they refuse to do something they need to do. But the kid got to eat.

"You want me to make you something else then?"

She hates to sink that low, but she is tired and exhausted from this day (morning shift and taking care of the three kids) and is pretty eager to get them in the tub and then in bed.

"Nooo", Liliana sing songs, while she pushes the plate to the very end of the table. She looks at her mother. Andy looks back. Sets her eyes in her daughter`s as a strict warning.

Yeah, Andy is having none of it. " Okay, time`s up! You don`t want this, then you don`t eat at all. It`s bath time, teeth and bed young lady", she declares as she lifts her up from her high chair and carries her into the living room.

On the floor, Ava and Mason is trying to put together a puzzle , and as much as she hates to interrupt their playtime, it`s getting late.

Ave, Mason, it`s bath time, you can finish the puzzle tomorrow. I promise I won`t put it away".

"Can we have bubbles mama?", Ava wants' to know. At almost five, Ava still calls Andy 'mama', despite that her own kids calls her mommy, Ava stuck with it. It makes Andy happy thinking that they have something between just the two of them.

Because all though Ava isn`t really hers by DNA and blood, she loves her just like her own. She thinks she does a good job by never treating them differently and telling them apart because she is half Swarek, half Cruz. It has been a struggle, but they did good. It`s actually working out amazingly.

Andy chuckles. Ava loves bubbles in the tub. "Course you can princess", she answers as she usher them upstairs.

* * *

She never thought she and Sam would have three kids in daycare at the same time. It`s crazy when you think about it. It`s barely a year between the three of them. They were busy, making them, she remembers Oliver said before Haylee was born.

And now, with all of them out of diapers, she secretly wishes for another one. That would be four.

Four kids.

They can pull that off right? She definitely needs to talk with her husband when he gets home.

"Look mommy, I`m Santa", Mason declares proudly, with his face and hair covered in white bubbles.

"Yes, you are kiddo. A pretty cute one too".

"Daddy home soon?", Liliana ask while slamming her hands in the water, making sure Andy get`s some bubbles on her too.

She jumps, and let out a laugh. "Yes baby, soon. I know Daddy is working a lot, and he really wants to be home, but he needs to catch the bad guys too".

"Oooookay mommy", she says with the tiniest hint of precociousness. She is so much like Sam, her youngest, it`s sometimes a bit scary actually. "Liliana, you're up first baby. Let`s get you all dry and warm".

She lifts her up and wrap her inside a big fluffy kid towel with one of those hood on. They've got one each their kids. A gift from Sarah the last time she came to visit.

"Anybody home?", she hears from downstairs.

"I could have sworn I had a pretty wife and some cute kids around...there you guys are", Sam teases as he joins his family in the bathroom down the hall.

"Daddy!"

Liliana wiggles herself almost out of Andy`s arms and get`s scooped up by her dad. That gives her the chance to move along to the next kid. She holds Mason`s hands while he climbs out of the tub. He refuses to get scooped up now a days. Says he`s too big. It almost brakes her mommy heart a little is the thing. Her first born and all.

That alone ads to her growing wish to have a new baby...

"Hi", he greets, and kisses Andy`s hair when she stands up again.

"Hi". And as much as she wants to greet her husband a proper hello, she thinks that can wait until the kids are tucked in their beds and they can be alone. She`s got plans here is the thing.

"It`s bedtime pumpkin, Sam declares, putting Liliana`s pajama top on. This one is purple with golden stars on. Every Thursday, the kids get a new pajama on. Newly washed and smelling like a mixture of spring and lavender.

"You good with these two?", he asks.

"We`re good. I`ll come in for goodnight pumpkin", Andy promises.

She rubs Mason completely dry, puts him in his red and blue 'superman' pajamas and is brushing his teeth when Sam comes back for the next 'pick-up'.

"You think you`re all clean now Ava?", Andy ask while wrapping the girl in her own hoodie towel. "Yes mama", she answers and puts her small arms around her stepmothers neck.

She places the girl on the bathroom counter. She always does that. She likes to be on Ava`s lever when they talk like this. Andy is a little taken back when Ava don`t show any sign of letting her grip on her neck go any time soon.

So, yeah... "Ave? Everything okay princess?"

Ava tightens her grip a bit more. "I don`t want to go to 'cuver'(Vancouver) with mommy and Ben mama".

They always talked about this, she and Sam did. They day Ava would start to prefer staying with either one of them. They had tried to not talk about them going away to Oliver`s cabin this weekend, when Marlo mentioned that they were leaving for Vancouver to visit Ben`s parents, but you know, kids talk and, Ava couldn`t stand the thought of her brother and sister that she only knew as her full siblings, was going away to uncle Oliver`s cabin by a lake, where there are boats and a jump brew for the kids!

She would be missing out on something. For sure. Andy get`s it, she absolutely does. If she was Ava, she would have felt left out somehow.

"Ave, princess... You know how much your mommy and Ben wants you to go with them. There will be other weekends at the cabin too. I promise".

"No, mama. I don`t want to go". Ava was crying now.

"Ave, baby, listen to mama for a second".

How do you explain to a five year old kid that this is how shared custody works? That every other week and weekend is with daddy and mama, and then with mommy and Ben. Yeah, that really doesn`t matter to a five year old, when it comes down to possible miss outs on a lot of fun.

She can feel Sam presence before he says anything. Almost six years of marriage, and they like to think that they know each other's souls pretty good by now.

"Ave? Why are you so sad?", Sam ask, rubbing her arm, that is still clutched on to his wife`s tank top.

"She doesn`t want to go to Vancouver this weekend", Andy explains. His head drop, his heart aches a bit and he rests his hand on Andy`s back. He too, knew that this day was bound to come.

"Ave... princess... I know you want to go to Uncle Oliver's cabin, but there will be other..."

"No, daddy! No".

He lets out a breath. For a second he actually considers giving Marlo a call. But, if she gets her way this time... well.. but, it`s his girl. His little Ava, that feels like she is missing out on something, and he... well, he is...

"I`ll be right back", Sam declares. Andy`s eyebrows skyrockets and she gives him an understanding smile.

"You good with her?"

She nods and takes Ava`s beauty and the beast 'Belle' pajama in one hand and carries Ava to her bedroom.

She isn`t exactly sure how they manage to do it, but when Sam is back, Ava is in her pajamas, under the covers, snuggled against Andy.

He comes in smiling. And just when she didn`t think it was possible, she can practically hear her ovaries scream for another one of this man`s babies.

He sits down on Ava`s bed. "Ave... I talked to your mommy, and she said it was okay that you skipped out on Vancouver this weekend, although they really wanted you to go... Next time though princess, they want you with them okay?"

Ava lights up like the darkest basement to a thousand light bulb room. "Thank you daddy! I get to go too mama", she declares, like Andy didn`t already know that.

"I`m glad Ave. Sweet dreams princess. I love you". She kissed her step daughter and decided to give father and daughter some alone time.

* * *

"I missed you today", she sighs as she climbs into bed and nestles herself right up against Sam.

"Missed you too sweetheart".

"I know things are crazy at the station, but I feel like I haven`t seen you an forever. It sucks, to tell you the truth", she declares after a silent moment. They had managed to eat dinner together once this week, and that alone made her want Sam to pull his father cards at the station. Also, she knew that would probably never work.

"I`m sorry, if I could do it differently, I would Andy. This weekend will do us good though right?"

"Yes. Yes, it will. I can`t wait", she smiled, pulling him down for a kiss that soon became much more than that.

"Sam? Door?"

Never had one of the kids walked in on them, and they would very much like to keep it that way, is what Andy is thinking.

"Yeah, door locked Andy", he breathes against her lips.

He works his way down, kisses her belly that even after two kids her own is still as flat as the day they met.

It`s then, that his wife decides to speak again. He did not expect to hear _that_ , particular sentences, but she... ah, his wife!

"Saaam...", she pants. "I...think we should have another baby".

For a moment he wasn`t completely sure of what he had just heard. Almost buried inside her and all.

"You... what?"

"I want another baby". Simple as that.

He scoots up, facing her. His eyebrows skyrockets, and he`s got that look on him. It`s a positive look, is what Andy thinks. He smiles big and shows all his dimples at once. Brings his lips to hers and mumbles something she can`t catch right away.

"I, yeah, let`s make another one sweetheart. Right now".

The thing is, Sam Swarek can never deny his wife anything, is what he knows for sure. Especially when it comes to giving her babies. He did promise her a football team those years ago, and he sure is not breaking any promises. What the wife wants', the wife get`s, is more o less his thinking.

He really wants' to see his wife grow their child inside. Loves her that way. Loves _her_.

* * *

More to come, but I`m leaving for a three week vacation in Thailand this second! I`ll be back :)


	6. When a girl need's a woman

**When a girl need's a woman**

* * *

Summary: when Ava come's home from school in tears, dad is not the one she need's.

* * *

On a rainy friday, mid november, five out of six members of the McNally-Swarek household, hears the frontdoor open and close in one swift,yet loud motion.

It's friday, which means that homemade pizza is on their menu, and they're all pitching in and helping out. Exept the oldest out of four kids. Ava just got home from school, and with no plans for helping out with dinner( just like they all do every friday), she runs upstairs without even peeking her dark haired head inside the kitchen to say hi.

It's then, that Sam and Andy knows for sure that something most likely had happened at school.

He touches his wife's hand as a reasurance of that he will indeed figure out what's going on with the twelve year old.

" You god with these three?" ,he whispers against her ear.

" Go ahead. Find out what you can", she smiles as she watches her husband from twelve years leave the kitchen. She sighes a silent breath.

The last three years have been a bit of a struggle is the thing. Not between her and Sam, but with Marlo.

After she and her then husband Ben lost their eight year old son to leukemia, everything went from bad to worse in a beat. She started to mix her meds with heavy liqure, and soon she was admitted to a mental insitusion where she was forced to attend an AA program. Ben filed for divorce and moved back to Vancouver,which didn't surprise Andy at all, seeing that their marriage started to suffer when Jamie died.

"Bound to happen", Sam said the night Marlo begged them to come and take Ava with them.

As a result to her admittion, Marlo lost her share of the custody over Ava, and Sam and Andy was granated full amount..

After that, things seemed to calm down. They got Ava back into a steady, and safe routine, and she started to blossom again. Sam knows it's because of Andy, who just as he thought, would go out of her way to make Ave feel like she too was a full blooded members of the McNally-Swarek household full time. She would do things with Ava without any of the other kids, and the conversations he knew they had every night during bedtime, did everything and then some to keep Ave on the right track.

She knows how gratefull he is for that, because he tells her every now and then, but for her, it's no different than guiding and loving her kids by blod than it is to build up Ava's safe grounds again. Because despite how and when Ava came into their world, she loves the girl like her own flesh and blood.

He taps gently on Ava's bedroom door. He waits for an invitation, like he allways get's. When there isn't any he tries a different approach.

" Ave, princess? Can I come in?"

They try to give her some privacy in her own room,now that she's almost a teenager and all. The rules are simple though; door is never locked, and it stays just a tad open at night, against that they never barge in without knocking first. It works for them all in the end.

He waits for an answer.

"No! Go away!"

That, was not what daddy Sam was expecting from his twelve year old.

"Ave... Come on, talk to me".

"No. I need mama",

Is what he get's thrown in his face trough the white wooden door. It reallly doesn't surprise him is the thing. She's a girl, who is about to enter her teenage years, and all though he is a man who never had a parent to turn too, he knows damn well that there are going to be times when Andy is the one who will be needed the most. Even from his first born.

It doesn't mean his daddy heart isn't stinging the tiniest bit, but he get's it, he does.

"Sure princess".

He come's downstairs again and is quite frankly, a little bit surprised that Andy and their three youngest kids have managed to finish no less then two pizzas, put them in the oven and with Andy wiping the counter tops,when he returns to the kitchen.

"Uh... it's... she need's her mama", he says, as he reaches out his hand and pulls her close. She kisses his jaw and looks straight into his eyes. She can tell there is something...

"She... I think it's time for one of those mother-daugther-girl-talks you guys have been having lately", he explains as he kisses her hair.

"Sounds like it, yeah. I'll talk to her. You want to set the table?"

Sam nods, smiles and kisses her again like she just told him he may be getting lucky tonight. And like a damn tail-wagging-dog that he is when it come's to his wife, he does just that, thinking it's friday after all, which in a grown-up life means he will be having sex tonight.

Lucky bastard that he is.

Some hours later that night, when four out of six members of the pack is safe, asleep and in their beds, Sam joins his wife under the warm covers and settles himself on top of her.

Finally,finally, he get's her all to himself after some pizza, boardgames and a movie with his whole pack. Also, he need's to know that Ava is okay.

She knows he's about to ask before he opens his mouth.

"Something happened at school... Just...don't bring it up with her... She thinks it's embarassing towards you, but... In gym class, apparently almost all the girl's was wearing training bras... She felt like a... An outisider for not having any", she explained.

She opened her legs for Sam and put her arms around his neck. "I knew this day wasn't far away, but I thought that she would ask me to buy her one, when the time was right... I guess that time is now", she sighes.

"I'll take her tomorrow. We'll make a girl's day out of it. You good with the other monkeys?"

He kisses her deep. "We'll be great".

He makes just the tiniest gap between them and just looks at her. Enjoy's the wiew a little. At thirty nine, Sam swears, his wife looks just like she did twelve years ago. Her belly that have covered three babies, is just as flat and toned as before she got pregnant elleven years ago. Her skin has the same olive-tan, her dark hair just as dark and a little longer, and her curves a little softer. He loves her more and more every day, and feels between his legs, that he desperatly want's, no need's to show her just that.

"We make a great team you and me sweetheart", he says, as he slowly, starta to line himself up. " After sixteen years as partners, we still do. I reallly don't know where I would have been if it wasn't for you Andy".

He almost breaks his voice with that last part. Knows he get's a little emotional whenever he talks about them and what might have been and not. She knows it too, and he don't care, that he get's like this infront of her. It's Andy. It's his wife.

"Good thing we'll never have to find that out then", she assures him as she pulls him so close it's almost heartbreakingly beautiful how close they are.

"I love you Sam. With all I have and with everything I am. I. Love. You."

He smiles wide and big and like a fool at the same time. "God know's I love you too sweetheart".

They stop talking as he makes the final move that brings them as painfully close as humanly possible.

Fin!


	7. Mason's birth

**Mason's birth**

Summary: this is not the way she thought her first baby would come into the world.

* * *

The first time Andy goes into labor, she wakes up just before the sun rises on a sunny day in early april. She thinks it's just those stupid brackston hicks that she's been having for weeks, and tries to linger the pain with a hot shower before she climbs back into the warm bed.

She isn't at all surprised when Sam tugs her heavily pregnant body as close as possible.

At 37 weeks of housing their first child together,Andy is more than ready to get this baby out of her. She is tired is the thing, and nothing in the world could make her feel any less uncomfortable doing... anything.

So, she is unaware of the fact that she is indeed in actul labor when she kisses Sam a 'have a safe shift and I love you', a few hours later. She went into maternity leave mode almost a week ago, after her doctor threatened her with bedrest if her bloodpressure didn't drop, so Andy gave it up.

She tries to slow her way around the house without doing to much, but the thing is, when she sees the pile of unfolded laundry and the stack of Ava's toys laying around, she feels her fingers itching and knows she is this close from going totaly 'pregnant-lady-insane', and her blood pressure can't have any of that.

Andy get's the mess out of her sight and where it belongs and is almost down on her knees half way down the stairs when a new kind of pain shoots right trough her lover back.

Now, she knows.

"Damn it!"

She searches the kitchen drawers, that she had planned on cleaning by the look of the amount of unknown crap she is forced to go throug to find the damn timer, when another contraction hist her. Hard.

She bends downwards over the kitchen island, belly swung low and her hand rubs desperatly over her lower back. She tries to catch her breath, but is interupted when a new shooting pain sett into her again.

That's less than two minutes apart. What the hell is happening? First of all, she isn't due for another three weeks. Second, it's normal that first time labor's takes hours upon hours. She remembers reading about that not long ago. But then again, what part about her and them was ever normal?

She paces herself into the livingroom for her phone and call's Sam. One, two, and three unanswered phone call's later she starts to panic a little is the thing here. She tries Traci, but there is no answer.

* * *

It's when her water breaks in the middel of the kitchen floor that she actually starts to cry.

She stands conpletely still for a second before she call's Gail.

It doesn't take a lot of seconds before she picks up.

"Andy, this better be important. I just got out the line for a decent cup of coffee for you".

Typical Gail Peck.

"Gail. I can't reach Sam or Traci. I'm having fucking contractions and my water just broke. Help me!"

Is what she ends up saying. Gail has forgotten all about her decent cup of coffee and has hollored Chloe into the squad car with her.

"Andy? Calm down, me and Chloe are on our way. Just... Don't go anywhere and be calm. Haven't you learned to breath or something? You do just that and we'll be there soon okay?"

"That would be great. Gail, I'm scared..."

"I know you are Andy. This isn't how you pictured it to start out. But I can see your house now Andy, and in about fifty seconds, you'll not be alone anymore. Is the door unlocked?"

"I... Oh my god!" She heaves as a pain sneakes up on her once again. "I... Yes, it's open"

She acidentally drops the phone on the floor when she hears the front door open.

"Andy!"

"Gail! Kitchen".

Gail appears first into the kitchen followed by Chloe. "Andy, hi, how you doing?", she says with the most sincere and nurturing tone of voice Andy has ever heard her collegue speak with before.

"I didn't think it was contractions this morning, I reallly didn't!"

"It's okay Andy, course you didn't know, this is all new to you... We're here now, and everything is going to be okay. Can you move at all?", Gail ask's, slightly worried.

"No, I can't", she sobs as she slides herself down to the floor against a wall.

"I think I need to push Gail! I don't think I can hold it any longer".

Gail then understands what is about to happen in Andy and Sam's kitchen. "Chloe, get us some clean towels and hot water", she instucts her partner.

"Andy, I need to remove your pants and take a look okay?"

"Yes! I don't care what you do! Actually, yes I do! I need you to call my husband and tell him to drag his sorry ass home, and then I need you to shoot me in the leg, because that is going to hurt less than this!", she screamed.

"So, Andy, the good news is that you're going to have your baby today. The bad news is that it's going to be right here".

Before she managed to call Sam, Andy's phone went off and Sam's name flashed on the screen.

"Swarek, how nice of you to call".

"Peck? Why are you answering my wife's phone? Where is Andy? Is everything okay?"

"I'm looking at the top of your son's head right now, and I suggest that you come home if you don't want to miss his grand entrance".

"He's on his way Andy. I need you to breath and..."

"How the hell do you know what to do Gail?"

"I... Actually, I've done this three times before I'll have you know. You're in safe hands girl".

"Okaaay", Andy breathed out, teeth gritting and lips squesed so she wouldn't scream with all her might.

When Chloe come's back, towels under her arm and a bucket of hot water, Gail instucts Andy to start pushing with the next contraction.

It's then that her husband and Traci come's barging in through the front door. He finns his wife in a position he he thought he would never find her in. Sitting up against the wall on their kitchen floor, lips squesed together and trying to push their son out. He joins her on their hard wood floor, that is now covered in white towels, takes her hand in his and watches as she push until her beautiful face is all red and sweaty. To him, she has never been more beautiful.

"Andy, wait! Stop pushing!", Gail tells her all of the sudden. "The umbellical cord his wrapped around his neck! Hold on,I'm just going to..."

With big eyes, Sam, Andy, Traci and Chloe watch as Gail, gently removes the cord from the boy's neck.

"Ah! It fucking hurts!"

"I know it does Andy! One more big push and your baby is out!"

Sam watch as his wife turnus into a different person completely, as she braces herself, fastening her grip on his hand, and just pushes.

Their kitchen is soon filed with a baby's strong cries, the most beautiful sound he has ever heard.

"Oh my god! Look at him", Andy cries as Gail places their perfect little human being in her arms. With black hair and olive dark skin, he is without a doubt the most beautiful baby Andy has ever seen.

Sam touches his son's face, gently let's his finger's feel the soft skin and managed to sob out an almost voicebreaking "Thank you" to Gail Peck, who just delivered their baby boy on their kitchen floor.

Suddenly they hear sirens outside and four paramedic's walkes in with a stretcher and bags with all things nessesity.

* * *

Hours later, he looks down on his sleeping son from a chair in a hospital room. He can't help but study him, admire the precious bundle he and Andy can call theirs. And when he starts to fuss Sam Swarek is not slow to lift his son into his arms.

"Shh, it's okay. Daddy is here. How about we let your mommy sleep for a while huh? Give her a break. You gave her quite the work coming out...", Sam cooes to his son.

"And, we're need give you a name too... you know, you were a little bit early, you came in a rush... so maybe something short or..."

"Hi, you're awake sweetheart"

"Hi, how long was I asleep?"

Sam sist down next to his wife. "An hour or so. It did you good though. You've been through a lot today".

"Can I hold him?"

Sam smiles big. He can't wait to watch his wife with his son. His son!

He places him in Andy's arms and kisses her head. "I'm so proud of you Andy. You have no idea."

"Thank you. But you were there. In the end that is", she teased.

"Next time... I'm going to ne there the entre time. I promise"

Placing a kiss on her son's head, she looks at Sam again. "Next time?"

"Yeah, next time... You didn't think this was it did you?"

Fin!


	8. A Special Day

**A special day**

* * *

 **This chapter is based on the promo for the season finale. I can`t believe another season is coming to an end. And God, I hope we`ll get many more!**

* * *

Summary: Their big day just couldn't come by any faster. But as we know the couple, nothing goes by without a tiny hitch.

* * *

 _"Let`s get married"_

 _"We are..."_

 _"No, faster. I don`t want to wait any longer. This is it Andy. I want our life to start now. Please"_

 _"Yes. Okay, let`s get married"._

* * *

They had originally planned a Christmas wedding. December twelfth. Andy had imagined a reception at the 'Lavine', lit up with light globes and white lanterns making the reception room glow in a dimmed light. It would be filled with their family and friends, people who have cheered on them for so long, and finally, finally getting to witness two people so much in love being able to say I do.

But with everything that had happened, Sam adjusting to being a father and figuring out the whole co-parenting situation, Andy almost fleeing the city again, and the dirty cop 'incident', they were finally in a place where they communicated, understood the others feelings, needs and struggles, and suddenly everything else didn't matter anymore. They wanted to start their life together _yesterday_.

* * *

 _"I don`t need a big, fancy wedding Sam. All I ask is that you wear a nice suit and remember to say I do"._

 _"McNally, we`re only doing this once. It`s going to be special and great and amazing, because that's what you are, and I won't have it any other way"._

 _"We could just elope you know. No stiff suits, no embarrassing speeches and no drunk relatives. And think about all the money we`ll save"._

 _My god, if he didn't love her before... well_...

 _"Not going to happen McNally. We`re going to stick with our plan. I`m thinking three weeks from now. September twelfth. Spectacular reception at the Lavine. All the things we talked about before, and I get to take you to a fancy hotel at the end. No matter how beautiful you`ll look in your wedding dress, it`s coming off"._

 _"Okay, let`s do it then"._

* * *

Saturday, September twelfth, three weeks later, Sam Swarek found himself in a back room at _St. Mary`s Cathedral_ , getting his tie fixed properly by no one less than Jay Swarek.

It had been a fighting inner battle with himself, whether or not he could ever forgive him for his crappy had pushed and reassured him that their father had indeed made a drastically change of himself in the years he had been behind bars. Sam had started to believe his sister and found himself more and more amazed every day since he had let his father back into his life.

And having Andy by his side, who knew everything and then some about having a crappy parent, had been an incredible support. He loved the fact that Jay tried to get to know her, and he loved Andy even more for letting him do just that.

It was nice, to have a family again, one that expanded further than Andy and Sarah. Even Ava seemed to have opened up a new side of his father, and the idea of his daughter having a grandfather, well, it did something to him. And he liked to think that the kids he and Andy would bring into this world, would be surrounded by a loving and caring family. Something that he never had.

It wasn`t a done deal yet. They had a lot to work out, and there is no denying that Jay had to prove himself, but he was starting to warm up to the idea of finally having a father around after all these year.

Even Tommy seemed have found a friend in him. Tommy was good for Jay, and made him see things in a different way.

Sam was a happy man. He was content, calm and had this new ease in him.

He was interrupted in his thoughts when Jay spoke. "You gonna answer that son?"

That`s when he felt his phone vibrate. "Uh, yeah". _McNally_ was spelled across the screen. He probably needs to change that after today he thought as he slid his finger across the screen.

"Babe? Everything okay?"

It had been a pretty big discussion when Andy had made one final request, that she got to drive to the ceremony herself. In his truck. Which he knew was going to be hers as well, at least until they got her one her own.

She was independent, and sitting in a fancy limousine on her way to her own wedding, was not who she was. Sam knew that too, and wasn`t at all surprised when she had brought it up a week ago.

He was in no position to deny this woman anything.

"Just wanted to let you know that I`m starting up the truck now. So, I guess I`ll see you at the altar then?"

"Yeah, I`ll be the guy wearing a damn fine suit. Don`t be late. I trust your judgment McNally".

He tucked the phone back into his pocket for now. "She `s something else that woman". Jay said. "You found gold son, and you`re in no position to say no to her are you?", he teased.

"No. I`m not. She's going to be the death of me". He paused and took a deep breath. " I have no idea how she`s still by my side pop. After everything I`ve put her through. She`s still here".

"Yes, she is. Because you`re a damn good guy son. You love that woman, and she loves you back. There is a reason you two always end up back to each other. But this is it son. Don`t screw up", he smiled.

"I won`t pop".

"You ready to get your woman? It`s about time you make someone a Swarek. Can`t let these fine genes and name go to waste".

* * *

 _Great!_ She though as she saw the red car ahead of her. She slowed up and parked. Gathered the lower part of her white dress in one hand and got out of the car.

She noticed what seemed to be a guy`s head in the driver seat. Probably, she should have kept driving, but she`s Andy McNally, and she never does anything half way.

"I`m Andy McNally, and I`m a police officer. I want to talk to you for a second", she proclaimed, adjusting her sunglasses.

Well, it wasn`t a guy. It was a boy. No more than eighteen. She lowered her sunglasses. "Everything okay?"

The boy didn`t answer. "Okay, can you please step out of the car?"

He obeyed her and got out. Andy had no clue on how this was going to play out. She was off duty, and unarmed. A red flag in her head popped up, but she couldn`t leave the boy here.

"You have anything on you that you shouldn`t have?", Andy asked suspiciously nodding against the red vehicle.

"No, mam". The boy`s head dropped and for a second she was completely lost of what to do. Because let`s face it. She really shouldn`t be here.

"Um, nice wedding dress officer. I`m really sorry!"

The next second, the boy fled his scene. Jumped into the silver truck and got the hell away.

Andy McNally was paralyzed from all reaction and action. It was a solid extra minute before her body and mind caught up with what had actually happened here.

"Hey! Come on, it`s my wedding day!". She tried running after the truck, but gave up, realizing it was a damn lost cause. In less than fifteen minutes, she was due at the altar.

It`s when she realizes that she actually left her phone in the truck, that she starts crying. Big, ugly tears that does wonders for her make-up.

Yeah, Andy McNally wasn`t going anywhere.

* * *

Outside St. Mary`s Cathedral, people were starting to head inside the church, when Sam was calling his soon to be wife for the third tie without her answering.

It`s fare to say, he was a little stressed out. And by the look of Traci and Gail`s faces who was heading towards him and Oliver, was in the same state of mind.

"Have you seen Andy?", Traci whispered, no wanting to make a situation just yet.

"No, she`s not picking up! She called 30 minutes ago to say she was on her way, I haven`t heard from her since. What the hell is going on Nash?"

"Calm down Swarek. She`ll be here. Don`t worry. Just... we`ll go inside, find our seats and you just wait at her at the altar just as you`re supposed to okay. She`ll be here".

Well, he didn`t really have a choice did he?

The church soon filled with their friends and family who was more than exited to watch the two most stubborn people finally tie the knot. If she ever got here of course.

* * *

Of course something like this would happen. It`s typical her luck. Of all days, it's her wedding day, and something like this just had to happen.

She had been walking for a solid ten minutes when she thought she saw something yellow far away, but still close enough for her sense something moving in her direction.

It was no doubt. It was a god damn cab. Normally, she didn`t ride in a cab. In fact she hadn`t done so since Jerry died. She was afraid after what happened with Gail, and of course, Sam wouldn`t let her.

But now... well, it seemed like an exception, and let`s face it, she didn`t really have any other option, if she was ever going marry Sam.

She started waving her hands to signal that she was a woman in need.

The cab pulled up beside her and pulled down the window. "Miss, everything okay?", The female cab driver asked.

"No, thank god! I... my car was stolen, and I`m late for my own wedding! I don`t have my phone, or my money, but I promise you I`ll pay you double if you can please take me to _St. Mary`s Cathedral_ on _Clergy Street_. I think my fiancé is waiting for me" she joked nervously.

"Course! Hop in bride!"

"You need to borrow a phone?", the cab driver asked. "I`m Janet by the way".

"Yes, thank you. I`m Andy, the lost bride. I really should let them know I`m on my way".

On the second ring, her best friend and maid of honor picked up.

"Andy! What is going on? Where are you?! Everyone is waiting for you, and your almost husband is freaking out!"

"I`m sorry! The truck was stolen and I started to walk, and then a cab came and, I`m a mess, and I`m sorry, but I`m on my way! I`m five minutes away! Tell Sam to... don`t go anywhere! I`ll be there okay! I`m really sorry! Um... don`t tell him about the truck though"

"Oh my god! I`m so happy you`re okay! I won`t tell him. Just get here okay? Sam is waiting for you at the altar. I`ll tell your dad to get ready. See you soon bride!"

"Take a deep breath Andy. Two minutes left!"

* * *

When Sam Swarek saw his almost wife walk up the isle fifteen minutes later, he thought he was going to both faint and have an exploded heart. He wanted to reach out and pull her close. Kiss her to the end of a lifetime and never ever let her go.

Tommy kissed his daughter`s chin and whispered something to her ear as he motioned for her to join Sam up at the altar.

She whispered a "Hi", and "I`ll explain later", when the reverend smiled and signed that they were ready.

It`s was like they were suddenly the only once in the church when the reverend started preaching. Their eyes never leaving each other, hands clinging and fingers tangled. There were no place else they wanted to be.

* * *

It`s hours later, after they finally, finally got to say I do, after a three course dinner, that couldn`t have been any better, speeches after speeches from close once who wishes them nothing but love and happiness for the next lifetime to come, and cutting a cake that Andy swears she`s going to eat for breakfast for the next few days (it was that good), that she takes a few steps back, a few breaths and finds herself with a pretty satisfying grin on her face as she watches friends and family dancing into the late hours of a day that couldn't turn out any more perfect.

She`s so utterly happy, that it feels like she is literally about to explode. Smile never leaving her lips, and she is so the most grateful that they actually made it here.

It`s also then that she feels two familiar and safe arms find their way around her waist from behind.

"Oh, I`m sorry. I`m a married woman now. Not sure if my _husband_ would appreciate that", she teases as she lets her head being tilted to the side, and her lips covered with his.

"You can joke all you want sweetheart. Not a thing in the world can change my mood right now. Have I told you how insanely beautiful you look tonight?"

"Uh, maybe once or twice. Have I told you how much I love you lately?", she speaks back.

He leans his chin on her shoulder and fastens his grip on her. "I can`t believe we`re finally married", he says a second later.

"I know. We made it".

"I actually thought you bailed on me for a minute", he admits.

"Really? I would never do that. This is all I have ever wanted Sam. Not a thing in the world would have stopped me from my own wedding. Not even a truck-steeling-boy".

She is on unknown waters now, and it`s no going back on this one.

"Sorry, what?"

"Yeah, that`s what I wanted to explain later...Your silver baby was stolen. I`m really sorry Sam, but I reported it stolen, but I got a call earlier, and It`s waiting for you back at 27. Don`t worry. She`s fine", she jokes. Knows he loved his truck.

"McNally, you know I-"

"Uh, uh", she interrupts. "I`m not a McNally anymore Sam. I`m a legally Swarek now. Going to honor my name you know".

"Yeah, that is something I`m going to get used too...Anyway... I don`t care about the truck... that much. All I care about is that you`re okay, you`re safe and your mine now. For the next fifty years or so... And the only baby I care about you bringing home is the once we`re going to make..."

"Yeah? And when do you plan on making them?"

"Well, I`m guessing... no, I`m hoping, that in a little while, people are going to be exhausted from all the good food and the dancing, that they`ll finally go home, and I get to take you to the _Bellevue_ for the night... So... let`s say... an hour or so?", he smiles. Dimples out and grin not leaving his face.

 _God, she hopes their kids will get his dimples!_

"Really?", she asks a little surprised and a whole lot of exited.

"Really. Wouldn`t want it any other way sweetheart".

After that they fall into this comfortable and soothing silence, as they watches the last of their day joining the night, and feels themselves becoming exited and full of hope for what the rest of the night might bring them in the not so far away future...

* * *

 **FIN!**


	9. Double Trouble

**Double trouble**

* * *

 _Summary: when the two oldest Swarek girls lands themselves in trouble_ _,_ _mom and dad are not happy._

* * *

He finds her taking one last wipe on the counter top with a clot when he comes downstairs again.

"They asleep?"

"Yeah, out cold in a beat", Sam says as he pulls out two cold beers from the fridge.

" _Really_? So, it`s just you and me until the girls comes home then?", she smirks, like she`s got a whole lot of plans figured out.

"Looks that way. It`s uh... hour and a half until curfew". He sneaks up behind his wife from seventeen years and nuzzles his jaw in the crock of her neck. Just the way he knows does many things and all to her.

"What are they up to anyway?", he wants to know.

Despite the two and a half years age difference between Ava and Liliana, they were not only sisters, but the closest friends two girls could be. With Ava seventeen and Liliana fifteen, they liked the idea of them looking out for each other.

"Well, the girls went to dinner at _Mack`s_ and then a movie. Should be finished at ten thirty, which leaves them thirty to get home", Andy explains.

"And Mase?"

"He`s staying over at Jamie`s tonight, and I`m pretty sure Mike and Brandon is there too".

She watches her husband's face twist a few notches. Mike. Bloody Mike. He`s the obstacle and black sheep in every part of their parenting. He has no boundaries or rules at home. Does whatever he wants' and is not afraid to feel like home in Sam Swarek's house.

"Sam, stop it. He`s a good kid. He`s just got some issues at home. You of all people know how that `s like yeah?"

Andy gives him _that_ look. The same look she`s been giving him over the last twenty years they have known each other. He knows she`s right, but he can`t help think that the kid might be trouble and bad influence on his boy.

His son. His first born son. From day one, there was just something about Mason, that Sam could never put his finger on. He thinks that maybe it`s the fact that he is the first child Andy gave him, and he`s the first child of his that he went through all the first within a whole different way than Ava. And sometimes he finds it difficult to balance the father-son relationship along with the buddy relationship he has developed with his son over the years. It`s a challenge, but he`s got Andy. His rock through everything, and when he finds himself at a loss, she`s right there to bring him down again.

"Fine. I`m just saying... you know, he might be trouble at some point. Pretty sure I saw him in a make out session with some girl when I dropped the kids off at school the other day too".

 _How about that, wifey?_

"Sam come on. He`s a sixteen year old boy. Don`t tell me you weren't out kissing girls at that age"

"No, that`s not what I said. I kissed plenty of girls sweetheart...all though, nobody as pretty as you".

"Nice save sailor", she teased as she placed her feet in his lap on the coach.

"If you`re worried, then... why don`t you have a talk with him huh?", she suggested. They had tried to ease themselves into to the awkward 'when-your-this-age-and-start-spending-time-with-girls talk a few times, and Andy is one hundred percent positive that her son knows how it all works, still, Sam is like a hysterical parent when it comes to these kind of things, and he is also the most uncomfortable, bringing it up with their oldest kids, who without a doubt have reached _that_ age.

"I might just do that", he says as he leans over and settles in between her legs. "But, right now, I want you sweetheart".

* * *

They stay in that position, making out like a couple of teenagers themselves, until the they hear a soft knock on the front door.

Sam Swarek hates when something or someone interrupts his much valued time with his wife, and curses a few words as he reluctantly pushes himself up from Andy.

It`s when he sees Nick Collins in his uniform with his oldest girls on each side through the side window, that he curses a whole sentences out loud.

"What the...", she starts, but freezes when she sees three familiar faces outside.

Sam opens the front door, and watches as his girls let their heads down towards the deck.

"Sam, Andy... I found these two at _Hyde Park_ , drinking beer. Thought you might want them home".

Andy`s mouth dropped and Sam`s face twisted in a whole new direction he has ever let it go to before.

"Girls! What were you thinking?". Daddy Sam was angry.

"Thanks Nick, we`ll take it from here", Andy says, reaching her hand out to Ava, signaling her to come inside.

"No, Uncle Nick, please don`t leave us. Mom and dad is going to kill us!", Liliana whines all drama queen and pleading.

"Probably, but you should have thought about that before you drank that beer sweetheart". Yeah Uncle Nick was no help.

"Ave, Lil, inside. Kitchen, now!"

"Thanks for bringing them home Collins. I`m sorry!"

"No, don`t be. They should be glad it wasn`t Aunt Gail that caught them. _That_ would be bad. See you Monday Swarek".

He curses a few more words, before he drags himself into the kitchen, where three dark haired heads are waiting for him. The two youngest, with their head all pointing down, afraid to meet their parents angry and disappointed eyes.

He sits down at the kitchen island, while Andy is pouring the girls a glass of water each.

He`s not one for pointing his finger at his kids, but this is a whole new experience for him, and he`s not sure how to handle it exactly, so he points.

"How was dinner? good movie?", he started, no knowing where he was going with it.

"We`re so sorry dad", Ava said, lifting her head just a tad up.

"You... lied, you went to a city park after dark, you drank alcohol, and you were picked up by a police officer. Ava, you`re the big sister here. You`re seventeen, you should know better then dragging along your sister! What were you girls thinking?"

"What if something had happened?", Andy broke in. "You girls have any idea of how many times your dad and I have responded to bad calls to that park? You are kids! You lied right to our faces. You have broken our trust, and you girls need to work too build that up again".

"I`m so sorry mom. It will never happen again", Ava apologized. Tears running down her chin.

"You're right, it won`t, because you`re both grounded until you`re thirty".

Sam gave her a reassuring smile and placed his hand on top of hers. "Two weeks starting tomorrow, you`re both to come straight home from school, no going out with your friends, no gibberish on your phones, no leaving this house unless we tell you to go somewhere with us, and no pouting. Understood?"

"Yes", the girls said.

"Good. Now give your mom and me a hug and a kiss, and go to bed. We love you girls, but today... today was a bad call".

"We`re really sorry mom", Ava said as she kissed her mom`s cheek goodnight.

Andy put her arms around her stepdaughter. "I know you are princess. Go to sleep, and we`ll see you girls tomorrow okay?"

* * *

Later, when five out of seven members of the McNally-Swarek household was finally asleep, Sam pulled his wife as close as he could get her. Today was hard for parenting.

"I think we handled that pretty okay", he admits. "I don`t think they will be pulling a stunt like that any time soon either".

"No, they won`t. I almost feel sorry for them. But, they did this themselves, and this is one more lesson learned the hard way. They`ll get over it".

"Yeah, they will. I think I`m going to make them clean their rooms tomorrow. It`s much needed".

"Really?", Sam laughs, settling himself on top of his wife for the second attempt this night.

"Yeah... you know, I see an opportunity..., she smirks, as she let her tank top fly across the room.

"Like this one?", he asks back as he lines himself up.

"Sure... I love you", she whispers against his lips.

"Love you too".

* * *

 **Well, I can't finish a chapter without a little fluffy fluff ;)**


	10. Number Five

**Number Five**

* * *

 _Summary: the one where Andy finds herself pregnant for the fourth time._

* * *

It`s the day before Isach`s first birthday, that Andy get`s her suspicion confirmed by no less than three white plastic sticks. Not surprisingly, they all comes out positive.

 _Crap_ , she thinks. They really thought they were done after Isach. She just got back into work mode four months ago, and she was really happy with how things were. Ava just started school, and they had three kids in daycare. A fifth child was not something they honestly and desperately wanted.

After Isach, who also was sort of an unplanned surprise in a way, she was religiously taking her pill at the exact same time, every damn day, but, well, look how that worked out. For a while, they were actually trying for number four, after Andy`s ovaries started screaming for another baby. Months went by and nothing happened, and they kind of decided that it was fate, and she begun taking her pills again. Case closed. Yeah... not exactly.

A month after that, she was pregnant again. While on the pill. Still, she can`t understand why, but, oh well... Nothing about her family is normal anyway.

For a moment, she thinks it`s all Sam`s fault and it kind of is too. She`s suddenly angry at him for landing her in this situation for the fourth time in four years.

 _"You guys have too much free time... they way you guys are making all these kids"_ , Oliver had joked when they told him they were expecting Isach less than two years ago.

And, suddenly she`s worried about what people will say now that she`s pregnant again. She laughs loud, thinking that she`s a walking, live advertisement for birth control.

It`s hysterical, really. In fact, she should be a spokesperson for preventing teen pregnancies is more or less her thinking.

But when she hears the front door open, and the silence of the house is filled with laughing kids and her husband mentioning something about homemade pizza, it _is_ Friday and all, she suddenly finds herself just a little excited about the new life growing inside of her. They make pretty great kids after all is the thing and maybe one more(last)wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

It`s hours later, when everyone that isn`t a grown up is a sleep in their beds, and when Sam scoots closer, kisses her neck and she is much aware of where he wants this to go, she thinks that maybe this is her opening.

"Saaam", she whines. In one way she like how this starts, and she is in no position to turn down whatever is coming her way, but come on! This is pretty much how she ends up pregnant every damn time.

"What? come on sweetheart... I missed you today", he tries, as he tugs her top up and almost over her head, before he earns himself a gentle smack on his active, groping hand.

"Sam, I`m serious... _this,_ is exactly howI end up in these situations in the first place". Well, that was not how she thought she would start out, but just as quickly, she realizes that, she just premiered her opening line.

"And what situations would that be?". Like he has no clue of what she`s talking about.

She relaxes her whole body, like she is giving up a fight, and surrenders somehow. She huffs and takes the biggest breath in what feels like... well two years or so.

"I`m pregnant... again. Yeah, turns out, you did it again you freak", she jokes lovingly.

He laughs and chuckles at the same time. And when she sees the smile all plastered on his face, she knows it's going be just as great the fourth time too.

"What? We`re having another one? You serious?"

"I am, yes. How do you feel about that?"

"I feel... like I love you even more. Like I can`t wait... just like all the other times", he assures his wife.

"Last one Sam... I mean it! This got to stop", she jokes.

"I told you I would give you a football team Andy. And I`m a man that keeps my promises".

"Team stops at five okay?"

"Sure sweetheart. Last one. I love you for what you put your body through you know. You`re more beautiful every damn day".

"Go on... Flatter will get you everywhere".

"I know".

* * *

 **More fluff!**


	11. Sibling Feud

**Sibling Feud**

* * *

Summary: at age sixteen, Ava and Mason have a fight, and she thinks about how shestands out inher family.

* * *

Andy is not completely sure of what actually happened between her two oldest kids, but from the way they were practically screaming and shouting at each other while coming through the front door, she suspects it`s something much deeper than Ava scoring shot gun on the ride home.

She appears in the hallway to witness whatever battle going on with the kids, and manages to greet her husband a fairly acceptable hello, between screaming and name calling.

"Hey! We don`t talk to each other like that in this house!", Sam jumps in, all T.O voice and daddy tone in play.

Then, Ava comes _this_ close to Mason`s face and says " If you don`t tell mom and dad, I will".

 _Huh, Andy thinks, so something did happen at school._

It`s then, that their son drops his backpack on the floor and get`s in his sister face too. "She is not your mom! You`re loony mother is locked up big sister! Face it, you`re the outsider in this unfunctional family!"

It`s the look on Ava`s face that literally breaks her mommy-heart, and for a second she thinks about smacking her son`s head for his hateful and cruel words. It`s like the house freezes for a moment, and Andy could have sworn they would be able to hear the tiniest pin drop to the floor.

Ava`s face drop to a whiter shade of blank, and for a sixteen year old girl, she suddenly looks like a six year old that just got her puppy taken away from her. She turns on her heel and escapes upstairs. It doesn't take long before they hear her door slam shut.

This is also when Sam watches his wife point her angry finger at their son. He sees her mouth open, and her lips moving, but he can`t seem to get a hold on what it is exactly she`s saying.

"That... was so, cruel and unnecessary! Whatever happened between you guys at school... what you just said there, nothing will ever justify that Mason! Why would you say something like that?"

"I can`t even look at you right now Mason! Go upstairs in your room, and later we`re going to talk about what ever happened, and then you apologize to your sister! Did I make myself clear?", Andy asks, each hand on each side of her hips. Just like she always does when she is pissed off.

Mason flees the scene too, without a word, and soon a second door shuts close.

The parents look at each other, and is a whole lot of grateful that their three youngest is car pooling with their friends today.

"I`m... what the hell just happened?", Sam chokes out. "They never said anything in the car. I just...yeah, I don`t know".

Andy rubs his lower back and places a kiss to his arm. "I think we should go upstairs. Talk to Ava for a second..."

* * *

Andy knocks soft on Ava`s door with her knuckles and prays to god that she doesn't reject them.

"Ave, can we come in?", Sam asks with his low voice.

"Your house", they hear back. Broken soul and voice all at once. Makes Andy want to embrace Ava and cry along with her.

They find her in a heartbreaking fetal position on her bed, face is red and puffy from the tears they know she has shredded. Their family function has always been a sensitive topic, but Sam and Andy like to think that is`t working pretty well for them.

"Ave...what Mason said to you-", Andy starts out, but is interrupted by her stepdaughter.

"Is true... Marlo...uh, my mother is a loony, and I will never be able to stay with her again. I don`t want to stay with her, I don't want other people at school to talk about my crazy mother... I don`t want to talk about her"

"No... what Mason said to you, is not true at all. Just because I didn`t carry you and give birth to you, doesn`t mean I`m not your mom Ava. Okay? I have five kids, who I love just as much. And we`re not a dysfunctional family. This is the family we built, one that is big and full of love, and it`s working for us. You`re not an outsider in this family", Andy continues, hoping that Ava will take her words.

"Does Mase know that too? Because from what I`ve hear, family stick together and they stand up for each other, which he did nothing of, when some guys went off and joked about my mother. My crazy, loony mother... He just stood there, laughing and going along with it. I felt like such an idiot".

Andy wanted to both cry, and hit her son at once.

They hear the front door open, and knows that the rest of the pack is home. Sam kisses his daughter and get`s up from the bedside. "You too good for a while? I got to tend the little monkeys".

"We`re good dad", Ava smiles vaguely.

It`s when he closes the door that Ava throws herself into Andy`s arms and let's it all out. Big and messy at once. When she feels the familiar, sage arms tightening around her, she out hales and relaxes at the same time.

"It`s okay to cry Ava", Andy soothes, stroking her dark, long hair, that Andy braided herself this morning. It`s a ritual they have, the oldest Swarek girls. Ava loves every minute spent alone with her mom and clings to her every second possible.

At some point, Ava finds herself being cradled in her stepmothers arms like a baby, and not a thing in the world would make her loosen her grip on her right now. She is covered with kisses and gentle strokes and know she is both wanted and loved by Andy, but still, she hears herself asking something she already know... it`s just... she is emotional, and sad and angry at once, and a reassurance and a confirmation is maybe just what she need right now.

"Does it bother you that I call you mom? I know I`m not you daughter and all, but I have kind of always been you know, and I like to think that you are too, but if you...-", Ava rambles, but is stopped by Andy kissing her forehead and looking straight into her eyes.

"Ave.. I hope that you never stop calling me mom. I am your mom, I will always be your mom. I may not share your DNA, but that doesn`t matter at all. I love you with all myself, and that will never change...okay?"

"Okay...I...just, hold me some more please?"

Andy smiles and wipes away some of Ava`s tears. "Always princess. Always". They sit like that for... a while, until there is a knock on the door again. When the door opens, It`s Mason that stands there, apologizing look on his face and a wish for sibling truce.

Andy assumes that Sam did the talking on that part, and finds herself a little grateful, because deep down, she`s still mad at her boy. Later, she needs to talk with him too, she thinks, kissing Ava and leaves her two oldest alone.

It`s times like this she is so, so grateful for the life they have built together, and when she comes downstairs, she`s going to hug and kiss her youngest kids, and tell them she loves them.

* * *

 **Any request for scenarios with the Swarek`s? :) Give me challenge!**


	12. First night at home

**First night at home**

* * *

 _Summary: It`s Andy and Sam`s first night at home with baby Mason._

* * *

The first night at home with Mason is both exhausting and completely amazing at once.

Sam doesn't sleep for a split second, afraid that Mason will for some reason stop breathing. " _Completely normal during transition from coming home with a new baby"_ , the doctors had told them when Sam admitted his worry. Relieved at some level, he still wouldn`t keep his eyes off his new son. Tiny and so innocent, he watched him sleep(would do so for the next hours, weeks, months, years even).

Andy is finally asleep, and after the hard work she went through to bring their son into this world, he would gladly let her. He could sleep later.

Born on their kitchen floor and all, umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, Peck and Price as midwifes, his wife plastered up against their kitchen wall and pushing until her face was red and about to explode, he had never in his whole life felt so many different emotions all at once. The tears of joy he had let out in front of half the female cops from fifteen, may have cost him his bad boy reputation, but Andy just made him a daddy, and not an ounce in him cared what people would say.

Ha was a dad again. Thanks to his wife. That day she became his true hero.

Half awake in the rocking chair that Andy had found at a flea market, which she in month eight into her pregnancy completely renovated, he heard soft whimpers coming from the crib.

"You`re not tired at all are you Mase", he cooed. At only four days old, the baby had already earned his nickname.

"Those better not be hungry-tears little guy. Your mommy needs her sleep you know... gave her a pretty hard time coming into this world".

When his son started crying a whole lot louder, he heard a soft chuckle from the door. "Hey... you should be asleep sweetheart... had a rough couple of days you know", he smiled at her.

"Well, I`m pretty sure you can`t give him what he really wants...Sorry", she teased.

He got up with Mason in his arms. "Go back to bed, and I`ll take him to you".

If there were moments and fraction of every second that gave him the opportunity to hold his son, he sure as hell wouldn`t miss them. He knew that he would probably never get a good night sleep for the rest of his life, but he simply couldn`t care less. This was it, and he would gladly do it again and again and again.

He`s just... His _wife_!

* * *

 **Short I know. :)**


	13. Three against four

**Three against four**

* * *

Summary: the one where Sam and Andy find out what they're having for the fourth time.

* * *

"Oh, would you stop fidgeting your fingers on my thigh _please_?", Andy said with a hint of irritation in her voice.

"I`m nervous. Am I not allowed to be nervous? This is a life changing moment for us _dear_ ". Sam Swarek was a lot of things actually. Nervous, exited, happy, _and_ , he was about to find out if their last child was going to be a boy or a girl.

"Well, you`re making me nervous too, so stop it", she whispers, trying to avoid the whole waiting room to be amused by their conversation. "Besides, there really is only to possibilities here... and we have two of both at home..."

"Andy Swarek?", a female voice said from the door that just was opened.

"Yes, hi", she answered, raising her hand and getting up from the chair.

"Hi Andy... Sam, good to see you. How are you feeling?", the radiologist asked as she led them inside a examine room.

"Good, uh tired, but good".

"Didn`t think I would see you here again", she joked.

Sam chuckled.

"No, we didn`t think so either. But you know, apparently I`m unusually fertile these days... but uh, this is the last time", Andy said, patting her belly.

"Well, you know how this works, so hop up and pull your top up".

Andy did just that. Letting her heavy body down on the very uncomfortable bed and pulling her top up, she exposed her protruding belly to the chill air in the room. It didn`t take long before the expected cold gel was spread across her belly, and the radiologist moved the transducer back and forth.

Sam felt music to his ears as the machine revealed one strong heartbeat. Although Sam had done this four times before, it was just as amazing each time he got a reassurance that their baby was perfectly okay.

The radiologist wrote something on her computer and turned back, facing the parents to be. "Now that I know what you`re having... do you want to know?", she asked, wide smile and the kindest of eyes.

"Yes! We do"

"I`m happy to say that you`re having another...girl!"

"Oh my god! Really? A girl?", Andy spoke, voice half broken the good kind of way. Sam on the other hand, was merely speechless. Couldn`t choke out a single word as he studied the sonogram photo in his hands.

"Uh... it`s...um. Thanks doc!", Sam said. "How about that sweetheart, another little McNally running around".

"Yeah, how about it... It`s four against three now Sam... you think you boys can handle that?"

* * *

 **I need ideas please! Anything really! :)**


	14. Sarahs Wedding

**Sarah`s wedding**

* * *

Summary: the one where the youngest Swarek gets married.

* * *

"Thought I`d find you here", Andy spoke softly as she came up behind her husband from almost thirty years. Placing her arms around his waist and closing her eyes, she could still take in the almost intoxicating and familiar smell of his cologne after all these years, and nothing in the world made her feel more safe.

"They ready t leave?", Sam asked, pulling his wife in front of him and letting his arms take a hold of her.

"Yeah, their flight is at five". She turned her head and looked at her husband. "Hey, what`s with you? You seem drifted and a little lost...", Andy acknowledged.

"I just...It`s all over now, you know? Last baby married and all. I knew we shouldn`t have stopped at five kids", he joked.

Andy Chuckled. "Yeah? Then... think about all the grandkids we`ll have, because that`s also happening these days..."

"What? Who? When? Is it Sarah?"

"Calm down grandpa. It`s still early, but uh... Isach told me that Anna is three months along, and I`m pretty sure that Ava is definitely hiding something under her dress. She`s been pouring down water all weekend".

"Wow, this family keeps getting bigger and bigger. They keep this up and we`ll have seven grandkids by the end of the year".

"That`s crazy! I... you know, sometimes this whole thing still boggles me", Andy says dreamingly.

"Oh?"

"Come on... did you actually think we would be here the day we met? Married for three decades, five kids, five grandkids and many more to come?"

"Well, not the day we met... Back then I hated your gut sweetheart", he teased, placing a kiss on Andy`s head.

"Uhu... and then there was Luke, and us being stupid undercover, Jerry died, I left, you moved on, I moved on, you got shot, Marlo left, I told you I still loved you", she rambled, chuckled and taking a deep breath.

"And we got our shit together, said we loved each other, Marlo came back... Then there was Ava, our wedding and everything amazing between and after... S`been one hell of a ride sweetheart".

"It sure has. But I love our ride... It`s...perfect, it`s us. Messy, complicated and amazing-".

"Hey mom, dad...we`re about to leave now so...", a voice came from behind. They turned around and was met by Sarah.

"Hey pumpkin", Sam said, reaching out his hand for her to take.

"Oh no, you`re reminiscing again aren't you? Is that why mom is crying?", she teased, as she placed a kiss on each their chins.

"Maybe...you uh... have everything packed up?"

"Everything set to go...oh, come on, stop acting like this is my funeral guys... I`m just leaving for my honeymoon".

"We know... it`s just... you're our last baby and all, so we get a little emotional that's all. Especially your dad... you know how he is..."

"I haven`t been your baby in a long time...You should have had more kids... I knew it", Sarah joked taking her mother's hand in hers.

"That`s what I told her too", Sam joked back, giving Andy his biggest smirk all day.

"I think I did my fare share of populating the country... I passed that stick on to you kids a while back..."

"Okay... I think we should head back up yeah?", Sam asks leading his girls ahead of himself.

Sam takes the hand of his wife and motions for them to head back up to the cabin, but turns when he feels the lack of his daughters presence. "Sarah? Everything okay?", Sam asks as he stands in front of her.

"Yeah, I just... thank you... for, you know, everything", Sarah starts, and Andy is pretty sure she`s not the only one who is getting a little teary around her eyes.

Andy finds herself staring at her daughter for a minute. And suddenly Sarah is a little girl again. Stubborn, but easy to please and so utterly beautiful. " _A cloned version of yourself_ ", Sam always said about Sarah`s exceptional resemblance to her mother.

* * *

Somehow, every one of Andy`s childbirth`s had been somewhat dramatic. Except Sarah`s. She was a winter baby. Due on January tenth, twenty five years ago. No child of theirs had ever come on the due date, So when the day came, they really didn`t think they would spend it at the hospital.

Andy had woken up in the middle of the night, shooting pain and unbarebul agony that it was. Everyone else in the house was in the deepest slumber, totally unaware of what was about to happen. She didn`t mean to wake them up with the loudest scream in history, but halfway up the stairs, Andy McNally-Swarek lost it.

Auntie Gail came over and stepped up as the adult in charge, while Sam Swarek managed to get his laboring wife at the hospital just in time.

 _"Damn you Sam Swarek! How could you do this to me again?"_.

So, not once, during any of her bringing-their-baby-into-the-world-jobs, had she ever ended up like the most embarrassing cliché in the century, screaming and yelling and pinning it all on her husband, or landing her in that bed again and again and again.

It seemed to work, is the thing. For her.

Not for Sam, who got his hand squeezed a couple of times. Andy was happy though. " _You got what was coming for you_ ", she had said afterwards, when everything pain was forgotten, and the promise that she would not in a million years push a watermelon through the eye of a needle ever again.

The room was dimmed, the early morning was cold, and a new, white layer of snow had landed into the early hours of Sarah Grace Swarek's life.

 _"Beautiful. She`s just so beautiful Sam",_ Andy had sobbed out. All cleaned up and wrapped in a bundle, laying on top of her mother`s chest, Sarah Grace Swarek was one gorgeous baby. Just like her older siblings. Born with a handful of dark hair, brown eyes, that later became their weapon against Sam, who not for the life of him, could deny his babies anything.

He never did. Almost.

* * *

"Mom, you coming?"

She looked at her grown up daughter and remembered that she was twenty five years older and back in time.

"Mom? where did you go?", Sarah asked, taking her mother's hand into hers.

"Uh, I... just a few years back", she joked, putting her hand around Sarah`s waist, leading her up the stairs made of stone, that she remembers Oliver and Sam making with their own hands twenty or so years ago.

This was the end of one era and the beginning of another one. Andy praised everything and anyone for the life she and Sam had managed to built for themselves, and can barely wait to see what comes next for the McNally-Swarek pack.


	15. Im thankful for

**I`m thankful for...**

* * *

Summary: it`s thanksgiving, and Andy`s got a whole lot to be thankful for this year.

* * *

"Good boy Boo", Sam hears as the front door opens and closes almost at the same time.

"I almost want to buy you a doggie winter coat, but I know dad would freak if he ever saw you in one of those", Andy told their four legged and furry child.

From the kitchen, Sam could no longer hold his chuckle. He made his presence for Andy as he met them in their living room. "You`re absolutely right sweetheart. I _would_ freak".

Andy looked up from untying her boots. "Hi, your home! I thought you had to stay late because of the new case?"

All smiling and happy grinned, Sam held out his hand for Andy to take and pulled her up and against his chest.

"Nope. Oliver pulled some favors from twenty seven", he explained, kissing her neck and letting his arms slide around her waist. "I`m where I want to be".

She knew he wanted to be home. She also knew that tone of voice. Sam Swarek _wanted_ something.

"Good, then you can help with dinner yeah?"

"Sure... not, was I was hoping for but...-"

Andy`s vicious laugh made Sam`s eyebrow shoot up. She pushed some buttons on the stove and looked at him. "And what exactly were you hoping for then?". Like Andy honestly didn`t know.

Two and a half months as newlyweds, and they were still caught up in this cliché bliss who did wonders for everything except the amount of hours they spent sleeping.

Sam only pulled out his dimples and threw a carrot at her. No words spoken, but the comfortable silence that filled the room was both relaxing and known. It was them.

* * *

Later, when all dishes was put away and the working sound of the dishwasher was the only sound that filed the house, Andy and Sam was parked back to chest on the couch.

"I`m sorry we`ve got the afternoon shift tomorrow...", He said suddenly, letting his fingertips run feathery soft down her bare shoulder. " I know how much you were looking forward to hosting thanksgiving sweetheart", Sam apologized, as if he was the one that made them work late on thanksgiving.

"It`s okay, we`ll always have next year... or we can invite people over for Christmas yeah?"

"Sounds good".

All though Andy was a little disappointed for working on thanksgiving...she knew that what she had in store for her husband... it would be so, so worth it.

* * *

Afternoon shift on thanksgiving turned out to be a smooth sailor for both of them. Sam found a man, reported missing by his wife, living happily ever after with his mistress in Thailand, and Andy dealt with a stolen turkey from Lobo`s.

"That`s got to suck" _,_ Andy had said on the way home, getting to know how her husband's day had been.

"Yeah, I would never... have gone to Thailand", Sam teased, earning him a light smack on the thigh and Andy`s eyebrows furred a few notches up.

"Watch it...you go any further, and you`ll have nothing to be thankful for tonight".

Except... that was a lie. Or, at least she hoped it was.

* * *

Andy was desperately looking for her opening line, but nothing seemed to fit properly.

"That was amazing Sam. I think I`ve gained a few actually..."

"I doubt it Andy", Sam chuckled.

"Really. In fact... I, uh... might be gaining even more from now on..."

Sam swallowed and shot his eyes up. "That so? This wouldn't have anything to do with you pouring down water all night? or you`re early visits to the bathroom downstairs for the past few mornings?".

Andy`s mouth fell open. "Uh... it might... what do you know?"

"Depends...on what you know..."

Andy couldn`t help it but smile. All giggling and exited. "Wait here", she said, and she was gone.

Sam gathered their empty plates and was loading them in the dishwasher when Andy came back. Sure enough with her hands behind her back. Clearly hiding something.

Sam Swarek had a pretty good idea of what, but didn`t let the excitement he was feeling take over completely.

"I... have something for you actually", she managed to choke out. Voice almost cracking to the breaking point.

"What did you get me this time sweetheart?", Sam said excepting the wrapped up oblong box she was handing him.

"Um, it`s not as much as what I got you... It's more like what you have gave me. And It`s something I`m so happy and grateful for".

Sam lifted the top off, and was looking down at a white plastic stick with no less than two plus sign on.

All though he had been suspicious for a few days that she was up to something, he wanted to let her tell him when she was ready, and just because he had taken a few happy dances inside his head, seeing this hard proof evidence that he had scored a golden goal was so amazing that he was about to lose his bad guy reputation.

"You`re... pregnant..."

"Yeah... um, about six weeks... uh... happy thanksgiving Sam", she sobbed.

Sam gathered his wife into his arms. "We`re having a baby sweetheart". If he thought he was happy before...

well, this just took him to another level completely.

"Yeah, we are...it`s, uh, going to be a summer baby this one. July is s good month yeah?"

Sam kisses her, and feels himself insanely thankful for everything life has thrown him these last few months. He knows what`s coming in the next ones, is probably nothing compared to that.

He can`t wait to...

hold her hair when she throws up in the morning,

fulfill every god damn cravings of hers(that he knows is coming),

watch their child expand Andy`s belly,

tell people that he`s going to be a daddy,

...hold their baby for the very first time,

and

he secretly wishes for another girl, because, more than anything, he wants' to see a miniature version of Andy, his wife.

Sam Swarek was thankful for a whole of things.

* * *

 **Fluff!**


	16. Gone child gone!

**Gone child, gone!**

* * *

 _Summary: during patrol, Andy get`s a phone call from daycare. They can`t find her son._

* * *

It`s June. It`s hot.

It`s an unbearable hot day for patrolling the streets of Toronto in full police gear. But Andy is only hours away from a much needed two weeks' vacation with her family at Oliver`s cabin, and she`s dishing about all the fun they`ll be having to Chloe when her phone buzzes off.

Her phone never goes off during shift, so when she hears _One Republic_ jamming away with _Good Life_ , she imagines a couple of scenarios. Either Sam has been hurt on the job, or one out of five kids is in trouble.

She manages to press out a "Andy Swarek" to the person on the other end, who she knows is most likely to tell her something she doesn`t want to know of.

"Mrs. Swarek? It`s Jane Robbins from Sarah and Isach`s daycare. Isach is missing".

Andy`s voice transforms entirely. "What do you mean missing? He`s three years old! You`re supposed to take care of him!". Andy is crying. Big and messy. She`s crying, yelling and screaming, and is about ready to throw her partner in the backseat and drive like a lunatic towards the daycare, but Chloe, she is a mom too, and being one of Andy`s good friends, Chloe knows too.

Chloe takes one big, illegal u-turn and drives past the red light, sirens all blinking and singing, while she calls Detective Swarek.

"Swarek, It`s Price. Isach is missing, we`re on our way to daycare, and I think you should be too".

Andy yells a few additional sentences to the pree-school teacher in charge with a voice of tone, that will make Lana Robbins regret ever going into childcare as a career path in the first place. And while Andy might regret her choice of words, and what she _just_ referred the staff at the daycare to, as soon as her lions heart kicks in, her mommy heart rules above everything else. _Her child is missing god damn it!_

She does though, manages to inform Lana Robbins that she is indeed on her way home. And if Andy were the pree-school teacher in charge on a day like this, well, she would be scared as hell.

"Andy, I`m not going to tell you to relax, because if it was Parker or Hannah that was missing, I would freak out too, but we will find him, and if I know your man, he`s probably got the whole division and then some down there already".

Chloe is a good friend, she is. She is also a good mother to Parker and Hannah. She seeks Chloe`s support and wise words a few times when it comes to parenting, and as much as Andy would like to believe her friend now, that there`s got to be a logical explanation to where her son is and please god, let there be a positive outcome, she is also a police officer, and have witnessed how many ways missing children's cases can end badly.

* * *

When they arrive at the daycare, most of the kids have been picked up, there`s squad cars and officers from their own division as well as others, and as she opens the gate spots both Sam and Lana Robbins.

She doesn`t intentionally _mean_ to get into Lana Robbins face, _or_ use her TO voice like the woman is a young rookie, but the woman has more or less failed doing her main job. Also, when Andy`s finger starts pointing at Lana Robbins, Sam senses bad blood to come and get`s in between them.

She doesn`t even look at her husband, but uses her voice to tell him to "Move!".

"What kind of place is this? You let three year olds wander off alone now? You people are supposed to take care of my child!", Andy yells, screams and cries at the same time. Voice at the breaking point, and for everything in the world, she doesn`t even care about all the eyes that are on her.

"Who`s looking for Isach?", she demands to know.

That`s when Gail and Collins guides Lana Robbins away into what should be seen as safety, so they can take her statement.

Andy is seconds away from crashing to the ground, when Sam holds her tight. Not for a dollar, had she expected _him_ to be the calm and smart one in a situation like this. But her husband is probably wiser, older and have seen many more cases like this then her, and knows before anything that the smartest thing to do is stay reasonable and fairly calm.

The thing is, when it comes to her kids, her babies, nothing in the world can keep her calm, if there is the slightest chance that they`re not one hundred percent okay and unharmed. She is a mother after all.

"Sweetheart, we`re going to find Isach, okay. We _are_!", he tries to comfort. He`s also near a breaking point, but finds himself thinking he`s got to be the sane one here.

"Sarah, where is Sarah?", she cries. Scanning the playground for her youngest baby.

It`s then, that she sees one of the male teachers walking her way with a crying Sarah in his arms.

"Give me my child!", she demands, as she takes her daughter into her own arms, thinking that in no way is she ever leaving her kids in at this god damn infested place again.

They`re applying at the divisions daycare center, and Andy will not give a damn if there aren't any spots available. Either, they go where Parker, Hannah and Traci's girl Avery attend, or they don`t go at all. Then Andy will take care of them herself, is more or less her thinking.

"Hi baby. Shhh, mama is here", she sobs into Sarah`s tiny ears, and kisses her baby.

* * *

She finds herself watching the scene in front of her like a blurry dream, the sound of the sirens and officers talking in a far away distance, and is in fact not completely able to distinguish between what is actually happening and what isn`t, but when she sees her little boy, her Isach all happy child and giggling in the arms of his Uncle Chris, she isn`t slow to hand Sarah over to Chloe, knowing that she is not imagining any of this.

Sam is right behind her, and they find themselves running like crazy people towards their son, who seems to be pretty happy to have scored a walk on his own to the small wood-area behind the daycare center.

"Isach, you little monkey! You precious little monkey!", Andy sobs as she takes her son into her arms for the first time in what feels like days to her mommy heart. They are laughing, and crying and laughing all in between while they walk back towards Chloe and Gail who is doing a pretty good job by distracting little Sarah Grace.

The whole team break into cheers and applause over the happy reunion, all knowing that this could just as likely have ended a whole lot different.

* * *

They did end up leaving for Oliver`s cabin after all the same day, just as planned.

And it`s hours later, that Andy has just finished her fifth round of checking up on their sleeping kids, when she lets out her deepest breath in century as she let herself being pulled down on Sam`s lap, who`s waiting for her out on the deck, a glass of cold white wine for them and more than ready to let the day finally sink the hell away.

She`s perched on his lap, face to face and his safe, strong arm holding onto her. She sinks back into his chest and kisses his hand.

"Today... today was hard, and in the darkest moment, I honestly didn`t think it would end like it did".

Sam places his glass on a side table, and put his other arm securely around his wife, taking in the smell of her perfume that does a lot of things to him.

"Yeah, it was. But it didn`t end bad. We got through this one too sweetheart. And if you still feel the same about switching daycare tomorrow, I`ll make a phone call. I`ll do anything to get them into the division`s daycare. I`ll do anything for you, for our kids... anything".

"I know you will, and I love you for it Sam, I do".

She kisses him deep, and knows that with their past and present luck, they are more likely to have heartbreaking and horrible days like today in years to come, but they have each other, and nothing can break them as long as they have the other one to lean on.

* * *

 _ **FIN!**_


	17. Suspended

**Suspended**

* * *

 _Summary: when Mason Swarek get`s suspended from school, mom and dad are far from happy._

* * *

Mason Swarek was a good sixteen year old kid.

He got good grades, not only because his parents made him study for a minimal of two hours every day, and was well educated on his curriculum plan, but Mason wanted to succeed too. He wanted a good life for himself in the future, just like Andy and Sam was giving him.

It`s not that he was spoiled, none of the McNally-Swarek kids were, but they had always gotten what they needed and then some.

Mason had never felt that he was missing something. Sometimes, he thought about how lucky he was, for having Andy and Sam as parents, and the fact that he had a pretty big family, one that he wasn`t necessarily related to by blood, but they all looked out for him and wanted nothing but good things for him.

He was lucky. Mom and dad was invested in him, they showed the sometimes overwhelming amount of love they had for him, which he knew he should probably appreciate more, they were always there for him, supported his choices and interest and they did everything they could to keep him safe, out of trouble and giving him good, solid grounds.

He knew he had a special bond with mom and dad, because he was their first baby that they had together. He knew everything about their messy and complicated past and how things was _this_ close to fall apart with them when Marlo and his dad had Ava together. He liked how honest they always were, and he knew he could ask them anything. _'There is no such thing as a silly question'_ , dad always said.

That is why, the worst thing possible, was when he let them down. When he disappointed them.

Mason could feel the air being more crisp and cold than only a week prior. But he liked it, he really did. He was like dad in that way. Liked the way he could almost watch the leaves turn from green to orange and red and a blink, the way they would almost cover their driveway completely, before he was sometimes paid to broom it away. It was also the idea of witnessing one season twirl itself into the next one.

Today it was the coldest so far, and he almost regretted walking home from school, but he needed the time to man up, calm his nerves and figure out _something_ that would resemble an apology for what he had done. He knew that the school had called home, and told mom and dad, but the thought of looking at them, knowing that he had really done it this time, seeing the look on their faces, the disappoint, the anger, well, it made him not want to go home.

His choices was limited.

* * *

"Just... give him a few more minutes Sam. I know he`ll be home soon. He`s probably scared to come home".

"Yeah, he should be!"

Andy gave her husband a gentle nudge to the shoulder. "Sam, stop it! If you think about it, it could have been a lot worse", she tried to comfort.

"Really? How? our son just got suspended for a whole week! This will go on his record! He just threw his entire life out of the window!"

"He got suspended along with twenty other kids, for being engaged in a sport! So, yes it could be worse!"

Sam took a deep breath. He knew Andy was right, but it didn`t change how angry and disappointed he was. It was still a suspension that would always haunt his school records. He just wanted his son to have a good carrier, be happy and content.

Less than ten minutes later, they did indeed hear the front door opening and closing just as fast.

* * *

"Mason, kitchen please", Andy said, well aware that her son might try to sneak himself up the stairs.

She patted Sam`s hand in a we`ve-got-this-kind-of pat. Truthfully, Andy had no clue at all.. They had never dealt with one of their kids being suspended from school, and she felt a little lost here is the thing here.

Their son appeared in the doorway a second later. Eyes all ashamed and filled with both regret and a whole lot of 'I`m sorry`s'.

Sam looked up at his son. "Mason, sit down please".

The kid reluctantly sat down on the opposite side of his parents.

"Mr. Duvall called today... Mason, what were you thinking trashing down the basketball court? Do you have any idea what you`ve done?, Andy asked, jumping in, all TO voice on her son.

Sam took one deep breath. "Just tell us what happened kiddo". Now _he_ , was the calm one.

"I just...Uh, we were so pissed that-"

"Language please, Mason", Andy corrected him.

"Sorry... We got so mad at Mr. Duvall for terminating the rest of the basketball season that we... wanted to get even. He granted all the money that was left for the drama club! Can you believe that?"

"We get that you`re angry, mad and furious, but Mason, trashing the basketball court is completely unacceptable and crossing every line! This suspension will stick on your record. It will never go away...How do you think that will look on a college application?", Andy pointed out.

Mason looked at his mom. She was mad. There was no denying that. And it was like it _just_ hit him like a damn lightning, what he had actually been a part of. "I, uh, didn`t think about that..."

"No, you didn`t. You didn`t think at all Mason. I can`t believe you...how could you make a stupid choice?"  
Andy got up from her chair and started walking back and forth across the kitchen floor.

When mom walked back and forth like _that_ , it was never good was more or less Mason`s thinking.

"Look, Mason. We just want you to succeed. Mom and I want you to get into a good collage, graduate with a degree that you want and get a good jog and a solid career that will make you happy and content okay? And, as much as I want to... tell you that this is one big lesson, I don`t want this whole mess to interfere with your education, because getting a education is important".

Sam held out his hand for Andy and held it. "Tomorrow, I`m going to call Mr. Duvall and...literally beg for him to rethink this. At least find a way to make him keep this off your school records. I don`t care what he demands for you to do to try to make up for what you`ve done...you`re going to do it all. Do I make myself clear?", Sam said, looking at Mason and waiting for an answer back.

"Yes, dad. I`ll do anything. And for what it`s worth... I`m really, really sorry... for letting you and mom down, trashing the court, screwing up..."

"You didn`t screw up Mason, You just made a really bad choice, okay?", Andy assured her son, running her fingers through his dark hair.

"I know... I just... guess I got carried away and effected by the other guys. It got out of control, and for that I`m sorry". Mason was genuine and honest, something Andy and Sam valued from their son.

"We love you kids so much and we want you guys to be successful and content in your life that we`ll do anything to help you accomplish that..."

Mason took a sip of the juice that Andy had poured him. "I know you do, and I get it. I`m sorry guys"

Andy got up and held out her arms for her firstborn baby, that suddenly seemed so grown up with his choice of words. "Now, give your dad and me a hug and get started on your homework".

The kid hugged his parents and was about to leave the kitchen when he turned around.

"Hey, mom, dad? I`m grounded aren't I?"

Sam and Andy looked up at him.

"Oh yeah. Big time. We`re talking a month kiddo. Sorry, but that`s the way it has to be. But look at the bright side. Think about all the time you`ll get to spend with your parents and do your homework huh?", Sam teased.

"Thought so", Mason chuckled before he went upstairs.

* * *

 **FIN**

 **Any other requests? :)**


	18. Marlo

**Greetings from Norway!**

 **I know many of you hate the Marlo/baby storyline on the show and in our fiction world. I`m not a big fan either, but it`s there, and we`ll have to accept it.**

 **I only bring it into the fiction world because truth be told, we want it to be as close to the real thing as possible right? And I think it brings up topics and happenings that many of us can relate to. It`s something that can happen in real life, because, just as Rookie Blue have taught us,** _ **life is not a fairytale**_ **. You get what you need, not what you want.**

 **If you don`t like it, then don`t read I guess ;)**

 **I love that you give med challenges in requests! Keep them coming! I write** _ **for**_ **you, and it`s only fair that I hear your wishes.**

 **Now, let`s pray with every body part we have, that we`ll have season 7 and many more to come!**

* * *

 **Marlo**

 _Summary: when Marlo is discharged from the health care facility, she wants' nothing more than to rebuilt her relationship with her daughter._

* * *

"Price! You seen my wife around?", Sam called after Chloe.

"I think she `s in the kitchen, making lunch if I`m not mistaken".

"Great, thanks!".

He saw her through the window, searching through the fridge like a forensic on a crime scene. He chuckled, and that's when she heard him from the doorway.

"Hi, I can`t decide if I want chicken salad from yesterday or this funky looking sandwich with something I don`t know what is...", Andy said as she opened both to look closely.

"Uh, can I talk to you for a second?"

Andy looked up again. _Something_ was definitely up. "Sure, what`s up?"

"I just got a call from Marlo... She, uh, was discharged a few days ago. Says she wants to meet Ava".

"Oh... Uh, how... I mean, what... she talked to Ava about that?"

"No, she wanted to run it by us first. I mean... it`s been what? almost four years? I`m not going to force her into something she`s not comfortable with, but she`s her mother... What.. how exactly are we going to play this?"

The sat down on the table. "We knew this day was coming. This is Ava`s decision to make. It goes by her pace and needs, but we`ll have to talk to her about it. See how she feels about it you know... Yes, Marlo is her mother, but do you remember how much she struggled when she left last time? It took months, years even before she was happy again. I`m not risking that again".

"I know, you`re right. I told Marlo, it`s up to Ava".

"Okay, so we`ll talk to her tonight then. See what she says. Just... don`t push it. Her call".

"Yeah, her decision to make. Tonight", Sam said, as he got up and pulled his wife in for a kiss. "Okay, I got to head back. Just wanted to talk to you about it. See you after shift?"

"I appreciate that. Later detective", Andy blinked as Sam left the room.

What a great start on the weekend, she thought. She already have a slight suspicion of what Ava will say. Andy feels like Ava _just_ figured out her place, and she is both content and happy with how things are right now. The last thing she needs is Marlo to come back and stir things up. What if she breaks again? and leaves? Ava can`t handle another fall out.

Andy knows everything about being abandoned by her mother. Twice, and it`s an ugly battle to fight. She`s a mother herself, and not for anything in the world, does she want Ava to go through that again.

* * *

Later that night, when the youngest of Swarek's was in bed and asleep, Andy and Sam put a gentle knock on Ava bedroom door.

"Ave, can we come in?", Sam almost whispered through the door.

"Sure", they hear from the other side of the wood.

They found Ava under her covers reading one of her crime novels. The girl insist on joining the police academy, and is interested in everything crime related. Sam loves it.

"What`s up?", Ava wanted to know. It wasn`t rare that her parents came knocking on her door, but every time they did, it was usually something on their minds.

And for a second, she scanned her mind, trying to think if there was something she might have done. Her grades were good, as usual and she didn`t think she had done anything wrong.

"There is something we wanted to talk to you about", Andy explained, patting her legs that were under the cover.

Ava tried to read their faces. She was looking for anything that could relate to something embarrassing. If this was their attempt to have that conversation with her... well. She eyed her parents.

"Wait...", Ava begun. "If this is you guys trying to talk to me about sex... don`t bother okay? I`m sixteen... I`m not six, I`m not stupid, and I do know how to read".

Sam`s mouth dropped a yard or three. He looked at Andy, who was _this_ close from laughing out loud. "Uh... that`s... not what this is about... however, we will need to talk about that later too".

"Ave, sweety, what dad is trying to tell you is that, your mom called a few days ago. She is discharged and wants' to meet you...She misses you", Andy explained, trying to read her stepdaughters face.

"No... she`s not my mom. You are my mom, like you`ve always been. She... has no right. You can tell her that I don`t want to see her. Ever. She left me five years ago. She made that choice herself. I`m not doing it!"

"Ave, calm down. This is completely up to you sweetheart... okay? I promised her that I would talk to you about it... You know, your mother was sick, and-"

"She is NOT my mother! Don`t call her that!", Ava yelled, not caring if her younger brothers and sisters woke up. She threw herself into Andy`s arms and buried her face in the crock of her neck. The smell of Andy, her _mom_ , was what was safe for her. It was what she knew about, it was home and she didn`t want any other smell.

Sam let out a breath. He knew had had pushed it too far. "Ave, princess, I`m sorry okay. I... we`re not going to force you into anything you`re not comfortable with. It`s your decision completely", he assured his daughter.

Andy held onto Ava a little tighter and whispered something in her ear.

Sam couldn`t help but look at his girls. Even after all these years, he was both mesmerized and completely in awe every time he watched his wife show this much affection over the baby he had with another woman sixteen years ago. Andy had resented Marlo for so long, but still she managed to love the girl this much. Sometimes he would pretend that Andy was Ava`s biological mother, and when someone actually thought she was, he found himself more than grateful. In a perfect world, she was.

"Then we won`t push it Ave. I promise", Andy spoke, voice all soft and promising.

"Okay. Then tell Marlo that I don`t want to see her".

How do you tell a woman that her own daughter doesn't want anything to do with her anymore?

Sam bent down and placed a kiss to his daughters hair. "Try to get some sleep huh?"

"I will dad", she smiled.

Andy made a nod towards Ava, saying that she`ll be right out.

When Sam closed the door behind him, Ava let go of her mom just a tad. "I really don`t want to see her..."

"I know Ave... I have been where you are... I`ve told you about Claire... I let her in one too many times... but I`m not saying that you should shut her out of your life... just.. I want you to be happy. I want you to keep it up like you have been doing for the last years, and if seeing her, messes that up, then I want you to listen to your gut and heart...But I want you to remember that she`s been through a lot too. Losing Jamie, Ben leaving, getting sick... it`s been hard on her too. I don`t know how I would have dealt with losing one of you kids either..."

"I`m not saying that to make you reconsider, I just want you to remember that She`s had a really hard time too".

Ava took in her mom`s wise words. She knew she was right...it`s just... she was happy with how things had worked out.

"I need time okay? I need to think about it... you`re still my mom, I will never call Marlo mom again, and she needs to accept that".

"No pressure princess. Completely up to you. Take your time, think things over and... if and when you feel ready... send her a text or call, okay?"

Ava nodded and crept into her moms arms like a child. "Thanks for being so understanding... You`re the best...and if I don`t say it enough, I love you mom. You`re always here for me... I don`t know how you can care about me sometimes..."

"What? what are you talking about?"

"Well, because you and dad finally got your act together, and then Marlo was pregnant with me... with dad!"

"How did this conversation get to be about me again?", Andy joked.

Ava raised her eyebrows. "Uncle Ollie said you and dad were stupid for a long time..."

"Really? I bet he said that to you. Your dad and I went through a lot. Back and forth, back and forth. And then, your dad was shot, and I... just knew that this was it. I loved him more than anything, and I really wanted us to be together again. Then your... Marlo left, and things just feel back into a nice pattern. We worked really hard to make things work again before we knew you were coming... It was extremely difficult, but in the end, I loved your dad that much, that not for anything in the world, did I want to move on without him... So, I stuck by him. And I haven`t regretted it once".

"But if you could have changed anything... if you could-".

"No Ava. Never", Andy assured her, kissing Ava`s hair. "I wouldn`t want it any other way. I love you, and not once have I thought about you any differently than your brothers and sisters. I can assure you... And now, it`s time for bed young lady...", Andy claimed as he gently pushed Ava down on her bed and pulled the covers up to her chest.

"Sweet dreams, and I`ll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Night mom!"

"Night princess", Andy whispered as she silently closed the door almost shut.

* * *

 **I apologize for all the fluff... I can`t seem to stop it! :)**


	19. Short snippets

**Short Snippets**

* * *

 _I wanted to try something new. So, this is short snippets in the messy, complicated, yet happy life of the McNally-Swarek household._

* * *

 **Liliana`s first boyfriend.**

Sam was always anxious and nervous whenever one of his girls would reach a specific age. Andy couldn`t tell if it was because of the changes generally or the fact that his little girl was growing up so much.

The first time Liliana brought home a boyfriend, Sam, who had had a day off, was perched in the lounge outside. He was expecting the youngest kids and Andy home any minute now, and tried to suck up the last bit of silence before the house would be filled with running feet again.

He hears the front door open, and the hallway is emidiatly filled with giggles, friendly bickering and a grown up voice that orderes all three backpacks into the hallway closet, and is up on his feet a second later to greet his family a proper hello.

"Okay bumble bees, sit down and I`ll make you a snack. It will be a while before dinner", Andy informs the kids.

"I thought I heard buzzing", Sam said as he walked into the kitchen. And that`s when he saw the unfamiliar head. With his blonde hair and blue eyes, Sam knew for sure it was not his kid this boy who was sitting next to his Liliana.

He pulls Andy in for a PG kiss (swears it won`t be PG when he`s got her all to himself. Whenever that will be), and whispers "Who`s the blonde?", into her ear.

She doesn`t answer, but chuckles as she places a stack of pealed green apples on a plate (it has become a thing in the McNally-Swarek household. Pealed green apples was one of Andy`s pregnancy cravings every time, and somehow, the kids became found of it too. It stuck with them, and this is what they ask for when they want a snack).

"Who`s your friend Lil?", Sam ask, curious of who the new blond guy is. He knows he haven`t seen him around before.

"Daddy, Jacob is my boooyfriend", Liliana says in the most precocious way, that makes Sam wonder how old she _really_ is. Then again, she _is_ her mother's daughter, and resembles his wife by every inch. (He wasn`t that surprised when Liliana started dressing herself at age four. Pink anything, and a tutu skirts along with Andy`s fake jewelry as a school attire was the most genius thing ever).

He prays to god that his girl doesn`t take after her mother`s taste in boyfriends, as he remembers Tommy`s many stories from her childhood and teen years and the rack of boyfriends she had, as well as her Luke(puke) fase.

He looks back at Andy, who he knows is hiding her huge grin down towards the cutting board. _Boyfriend? Since when? The kid is seven! She should be afraid of getting boys cooties_.

"Uh, you... got a boyfriend?"

Andy is _this_ close from erupting into the gags of the century, but pinches her own arm.

Sam approaches the kid-filled table. "Hi, I`m Liliana`s dad, what`s your name?"

Jacob`s ocean blue eyes lights up, and like a grown up man, he reaches out his hand towards Sam. "I`m Jacob Rutherford. Nice to meet you".

Sam chuckles. Loud. "Hi Jacob, I`m Sam Swarek, welcome to our house", he greets and is already planning on having a chat with the blonde kid about is intensions with his little girl. His first girl with Andy.

The kids eat their snack while Sam interrogates his wife about the kids background.

Afterwards the kids run outside, and before Sam knows it the kid is picked up by his mother. So he`ll talk with him the next time he comes over.

Turns out, Sam has nothing to worry about.

Two days later, Liliana can inform that she and Jacob is no longer boyfriend and girlfriend, because the new boy in their class, had a multicolor pen! And Jacob was no longer boyfriend material.

Sam wonders how he`ll hold it together in the future, and what his daughter values in her boyfriends.

A week later, the new boy is forgotten, and Chloe and Dov`s kid Parker is the coolest boy ever.

* * *

 **Naming Isach**

It`s a much needed calm and quite night, where their three kids is finally, finally asleep (It`s been a hard week. Two trips to the hospital, thinking that it was time, but still, they're here, at home, perched back to chest on the couch. Andy`s been off shift for almost three weeks, and passed her due date _yesterday_.

She`s emotional, hormonal, really, really uncomfortable and is 40 weeks plus 8 days, She`s livid, and wants' this baby out _last week_ , is more or less her thinking.

She shifts uncomfortable and is nestled right against his chest. He runs a hand over her very tight stomach, her thighs, her back, literally anywhere he can reach. She`s had stupid, painfully Braxton-hicks for days and her mood has definitely taken the hit. This, though, being able to completely relax, late night calmness, no running kids and barking Boo, only her and Sam, it helps is the thing. And whatever Andy needs, Andy gets.

They still haven`t found a name for the last pack member( that's what they thought back then), and Andy is getting stressed about it. Andy is not supposed be stressed.

"We need to find a name Sam, he could be here any day now, and we still don`t have a name ready for him", Andy claims, running her hand over her protruding mountain-sky-high-belly.

Sam hums and kisses her hair. "Landon".

At that, Andy makes a noise Sam has never heard coming from her. She shakes her head. "He stole my lunch once in third grade, and again the year after. Never liked that name", she states, case closed.

Sam chuckles. "Logan".

"What? I arrested a guy named Logan a few months ago remember?"

Yeah, that's right. He remembers. It was Andy`s last shift before getting chained to the desk, and the guy had insulted her growing belly. Something about she should be carefully landing herself I these situations. " _Kids is a hazard. Pain in the ass, and nothing good comes from having them"._ Andy actually took a punch to the guys face for that, and was emidiatly put on desk by both Sam and Oliver.

She never regretted it.

They don`t speak for the next couple of minutes. It`s like they are both thinking and twisting their heads for a good enough name for their son.

"Isach", Andy says. Like she`s putting a feel to the name the second it escaped her lips.

"Oh", Sam breathes. "Isach, Isach", he tries, voice all whispering and testing it out. "I like it. A lot actually. Isach", he tries again.

"That`s... a great name. It`s kind of perfect".

"Yeah? I`ve always wanted to call my kid Isach. I saw a commercial with a baby when I was pregnant with Mason, and the kid was adorable. Then you came up with Mason, and I loved that too, but now...", she rambles.

Sam chuckles again. "Then Isach it is".

"Okay... Isach. Isach Swarek... Good match", Andy states, dreamingly, like she _just_ envisioned their baby Isach for the first time.

* * *

 **The hard part**

It`s been one of those days, where everything`s been wrong and everyone that isn`t a grownup has been pretty unhappy. Andy is on maternity leave and home with Isach, along with the other three kids she just picked up from daycare.

She`s tired, grumpy, her nipples is on fire and she hasn`t had a shower since yesterday. Isach`s been crying for... a while, and she _just_ heard something break into a million pieces in the living room.

At the same time, she`s just latched on Isach to her breast, while trying to make dinner, and she could have _swore_ that Sam said he was coming home before six. It`s six fifteen, and Andy is _this_ close from becoming the mother from hell. She wants' to scream and yell, and tell them to take care of themselves, while she enjoys a shower, and put on clothes that isn`t covered with and smells like breast milk, snot and dirty diapers.

She doesn`t hear from him the next couple of hours, and in a miraculous way, she has just managed to feed, bathe and put four kids down in their beds, when she hears the front door open.

She`s in the kitchen, and wipes a table cloth across the kitchen table that only seconds ago was covered in mashed potatoes and squashed chicken, when he comes in. She is seconds away from literally killing him with her eyes, as she furiously throws the cloth into the open trash can, hoping to prove a point to her _dear_ husband.

He`s about to say something, when she points her finger at him. "Don`t!", she orders, lips pressed together, and Sam knows she is pissed.

There is a lot of things she wants so say to him right now, but in fear of saying something she will regret later, she points her finger at her tank top. "See this?", she asked voice all angry and mad like a teased and worked up rooster. " _This_ , is breast milk mixed with your kids left over dinner, which I just washed the rest of off the damn table. You want to know why I smell and look like a food plate?"

She looks at her husband, like she is actually expecting a correct answer of some sort.

"No? Because I haven`t had a shower since yesterday morning! My breakfast is still in the fridge untouched! You...promised you`d be home before six! It`s almost eight thirty", spat out, tears pressing hard on her tired eyelids. _This_ close from making an appearance.

"I`m taking a shower, so you`re on your own", she informs as she pushes her way through Sam`s arms who`s desperately trying to touch her in an apologetic way. Yeah, Andy is having none of it, is the case here.

Then she turns around, and Sam could have sworn that the look she just gave him, put a couple of bullets through his body(heart).

"You could at least have had the decency to call and let me know. I`ve been juggling four kids since two this afternoon, and I swear, I was _this_ close from locking myself inside a closet!", is what she manages to silently scream in his face in total fear of waking up the kids.

She marches upstairs, and it doesn't take long before Sam can hear the shower running.

* * *

It`s not until Andy is one hundred percent sure that he didn`t follow her upstairs, that she let herself cry big and messy under what feels like the greatest shower in the century. She cries over a couple of reasons.

One, she`s angry over the fact that _she_ is the one stuck at home for the last three and next six months, if this is how it`s going to be since Sam made head detective. Secondly, she is green jealous at Sam for spending time with other adults and having adult conversations, when she just bickers with Mason for not eating his dinner, arguing with Ava when she won`t pick up her damn toys that covers their floor, and curses at the two youngest because they won`t stop crying. She thinks that's it, although it feels like a ton.

She actually empathies with herself and wants' to creep under the covers and sleep like the dead for the next, let`s say day, week, month, year, and let _Sam_ be the one staying home and taking care of the kids is what she`s thinking.

She steps out of the shower and wraps her sorry, tired self inside the fluffiest towel she can find, and _still,_ she can almost smell the breast milk that she feels is covering her whole body.

She puts on her facial cream, that has become a routine for her when she hear a soft knuckled nock on the closed bathroom door.

"Andy... I`m sorry... just... can I come in?", the other, familiar voice pleads from the other side of the wood.

She does a sorry attempt to wipe off any left tears before she turns the knob for him.

He sees her, wet hair, tired eyes and wants' nothing more than to pull her close and never let her go.

"I`m so, so sorry for not calling you. I was stuck in interrogation, my battery was dead and I completely lost track of time. I`m really sorry sweetheart. I`m sorry you had a terrible day", he says as he goes the extra mile by holding out his hand for her to hopefully take.

Which, she surprisingly does. "I just... I`m so, so tired, and I didn`t eat until the kids were in bed, Isach has been crying all day, and... I just... was so mad that I had to do it all by myself when I really, really needed you..."

And then, in the most tentative way, Sam wipes her tears away with his thumb and nestles her face in his warm hands.

It felt so good. So heartbreakingly wonderful to just feel him this close again, like it's been an eternity, she thinks as she let herself get a little lost in her husband's safe and familiar hands, that she knows for the life of her, she cannot live without. Not even for a day.

Sam takes one, deep breath and embraces his wife, inhales her coconut oil scent from what he assumes is her shampoo.

"I`m sorry too. I don`t mean to complain or get mad, and I don`t want to sound like a horrible mother, but I just...had a really bad day and I`m tired and exhausted and I...miss you", is what she ends up whispering in his ears as she put her arms around his waist too.

"And... sorry about dinner... I was just so mad. I`ll put some clothes on and heat up the leftovers for you", she breathes against his lips, that was barely an inch away from hers.

"No", he whispers back as he willingly let her take off his t-shirt. "I already did. It was delicious. Thank you".

It`s then that Sa makes the next move, by unbuckling his jeans and opens up her towel completely, only to let it casually fall into a pile of wet fluff on the tiles.

Heartbreakingly slow and oh so gentle, he let his hands slide down along her sides, kisses her spot in the crock of her neck, lifts her up and lets her hook her legs around his waist. He presses his lips to hers and walk them towards the bed. He wants' to spread her out all the way naked under him, kiss every inch of her body and burry himself inside her, is what goes through his head right now. And by the way she is arching and bucking her hips up against him, she clearly don`t seemed to mind where this is going. At all.

And of course, Andy lets him do whatever he wants, and everything.


	20. Short snippets 2

**I`m starting to run out of ideas for this single chapter story. I`m thinking this is the last chapter unless I suddenly come up with the most brilliant idea in history ;) As last time, little snippets!**

* * *

 **Meeting Mason**

Sam had imagined a few times during Andy`s pregnancy with Mason, their first baby together, what it would be like to watch Ava with her baby brother. At a year and three months, Ava was a pretty easy child to deal with. She was used to being the only little princess both with her daddy and Andy, and with her mommy and Ben. She loved playing with other kids her age, but how she would react when a new baby would come, he had no clue of.

Sam felt that only the two of them should be at the hospital with Mason, but when Andy insisted that he`d bring Ava so she could meet her baby brother, Sam had no say in it.

His wife had just given birth a day ago, and what his wife wanted, his wife would get. And truthfully, he couldn`t wait too se his two babies together.

* * *

Half asleep with Mason safe cradled in her arms, Andy woke up to a soft knuckle knock on the door.

"Come in", she answered groggily.

She was tired, exhausted, sore and found herself crying for the littlest thing, but how Andy had imagined holding her own baby would be, it was nothing compared to what she felt only by looking at her baby boy. She was insanely happy, and when Sam walked into her room with Ava placed on his hip, her smile grew even bigger.

She wanted Ava to meet Mason.

"Hi, your here", A half conscious new mother whispered from the hospital bed. "We fell asleep", she giggled.

Sam, happy daddy as can be, was not able to hide his stupid looking grin. The though and sight of Andy with _their_ baby on her chest, well it did a lot to him and then some. He secretly thinks about how soon they can give this parenting a go again, but figures that they should probably concentrate on the two monkeys they have for a little while longer.

"Good, you`ve had a tough twenty four hours", he acknowledge. Giving birth to their son right on the kitchen floor, hadn`t exactly been in their birth plan, having Gail Peck as a midwife wasn`t either, but in the end of the day, they are god damn lucky, that Mason and Andy came out of it whole pieced and unharmed.

"I want to sit up, can you take him?", she asked as Sam and Ava came up to the bed.

"Mama", Ava whined, reaching out her arms for Andy. Sam managed to help her up with one free arm, while cradling Mason in the other one.

"Hi, princess, how are you bumble bee?", Andy said, tickling Ava, who found her safe spot in her mamas arms. "You want to see the baby Ave? He`s your little brother", Andy said kissing her chubby cheeks.

As on que, Sam sat down on the bed too, placing Mason down between Andy`s legs and his arms as safety. "Ave... look", Andy whispered.

And Ava, like she already knew what to do, bent down towards her brother and placed a sloppy, yet gentle kiss on his tiny head. "Baby. Av (Ava), baby!".

If Sam thought he had seen it before, well...

"That`s right Ave... your baby brother. Ava`s baby", Sam said, bringer her even closer.

* * *

 **There is just something**

Having her first baby, that came from _her_ , had done something to Andy. She was even more soft, she was calmer and had this new glow, that made any room she entered light up like a thousand light bulbs.

She was ridiculously happy, and never in her life, had she expected motherhood being this amazing.

It was mid February and it was biting cold outside. The night had brought another new layer of snow, that she knew she was going to make Sam shovel away when he came home from work.

Sam went back to work a week ago, after being home with her and Mason for three. Andy loved having Sam home with them, she did, but being able to bond with her son in a completely different way, was amazing.

Gently rocking the nursing chair Sarah had given them, while feeding Mason, she looked outside. It was a crazy amount of snow, that their mailbox was almost completely covered. Their driveway was nearly invisible, and any trace of cars driving off in the early morning hours, was nowhere to be seen.

Andy loved it.

She looks down on her little monkey. He`s a big eater this one. Appetite like a hungry wolf, and drinks greedy from her milk until he falls asleep almost every time. Andy loved that too.

She knows, she sounds like a heavy, puking cliché, and every mother in the world probably feels the same way, but she swears, _their_ baby, is the most beautiful little human being in the universe.

He`s got his daddy`s hair. Came out of her with a fair amount of black hair, that she lets her fingers brush over gently. His eyes is from her, Sam says. Sam knows that he will lose every single battle, when those dark, hazel brown doe eyes looks straight at him anytime in the future. He is so utterly grateful.

And the nose, that is definitely from Sam too. She wants to kiss it so badly, but she notices that he has fallen asleep, and Andy, she`s got a whole lot of plans of chores and things to do before he wakes up again.

Sam tells her every morning before he kisses them goodbye, that she doesn`t need to do anything. She should sleep whenever Mason sleeps, and that he can do things when he gets home, but Andy won't hear any of it.

The pile of dirty laundry she knows is getting bigger every hour, Ava`s toys that is spread around on the living room floor, and the mountain of clean, unfolded clothes that's waiting for her, she just wants' it out of the way, and when Sam is home later, she wants to watch him with their baby, not doing laundry.

Because she loves watching the two of them together, she thinks as she puts Mason down in his crib, gently as possible.

And there is no secret that she loves to watch Mason in general. There is just something about him, that makes her stomach bubble, her heart skip a few beats and her ovaries jump up and down and scream something she should probably pretend not to hear. Yet.

She thinks it`s because he looks so much alike Sam, that she feels all these different feelings when she studies him. It`s because it`s her very first own baby, and it`s also _their_ first baby. And that is something she never thought would happen a few years back, when everything seemed so unknown, so dark and so impossible.

She knows she`s lucky. They are lucky.

Which makes her wonder how on earth her mother was able to leave her all those years ago. She wants to cry and scream at in Claire`s face, and ask her how that is possible. At the same time, she thanks god for not having inherited her mother's heart when it comes to parenting and her kids, because after only being a mother for four weeks, Andy can honestly say, that not for everything in the world, is she capable of leaving her own baby. Her own flesh and blood. Its precious, innocent, amazingly beautiful, and she loves her child more than anything in the whole world.

* * *

 **Again**

She thinks she`s envisioning it, the second pink line on the stick. The third one she has taken this morning. She is a little grateful that Ava is on Marlo week, and that Sam took Mason and Boo for a walk.

It`s not possible right? She read on Google that breastfeeding is like birth control, so she didn`t think it was necessary to double up on contraceptive. If it hadn`t been for the constant throwing up for the last five days, and her sudden kick for pealed green apples, she would never have thought of taking a test at all. But here she is. Knocked up again. It`s kind of funny how things happen when you least expect it.

She burst into a fist of gags. She laughs. On the bathroom floor, she laughs over the fact that she is pregnant again. Mason is barely six months old, and having two babies within a year and a half, was not a part of their plan. But then again, when did they do anything according to plan?

Then, she starts to cry. Because Mason just started sleeping more than three hours straight at night, and she wonders if they really should be having a second(third) kid just yet.

Also, she feels like she _just_ got her body back into whip shape, and by the time she is supposed to go back to work again, she is close to go back to her second maternity leave. Then, she laugh again.

Because for some reason, she can almost hear Oliver say that they`ve got too much time on their hands, and suddenly she`s worried about what other people will say and think.

She decides to take a cold shower. First of all to clear her thoughts. In ten minutes, she has cried and laughed and swore, and wonders what's next. Second, it`s hot as hell. July at its best, is her thinking. Third week in a row with temperatures like the desert, clear blue sky and not a single cloud. She assumes that Sam want to fire up the grill today too, and tells herself that she needs to remember to marinate a few pork files she knows is in the fridge. She knows how much Sam likes her marinade. What Sam likes, Sam gets.

"Andy? we`re home", she hears from downstairs, and quickly she gathers all three tests and throws them in the trash, toilet paper on top, just to hide them, because she hasn't decided yet if she`s going to tell him just yet. Thinks that she need to wrap her head around it first.

"Bathroom", she calls back, wrapping a towel around herself and opens the bathroom door.

"Hey, he sleeping?", she ask, giving Boo a scratch behind his ear.

"Yeah, I parked the stroller out on the deck. Only place with a decent shadow", he informs, while his eyes drop to the bathroom floor. He could have sworn that the package on the tiles behind Andy resembles something that either contains a pregnancy test or used to. He steps into the bathroom, and scans the room, like he scans a crime scene. There is no trace of anything, but by the look of his wife`s eyes, she most surtanly know that he knows that she`s up to something.

Sam picks up the package. It`s definitely empty, and knows by now that, somewhere in the room, there is a used pregnancy stick that says one out of two things.

"Andy?", Sam chokes out.

"Um...so, I took some test...to, you know...". It's like she can't get the words to leave her lips. She thinks she want them too, but she`s not one hundred percent sure of how Sam is going to react, is the thing here.

"I...", she starts out, half crying, half laughing, she`s not sure, while she moves towards the trash can and gathers her 'stuff' and drops it all into a pile in the sink.

Sam sees all three of them, one with two lines, the other two, he doesn't know, but he can only imagine what they say.

"Pregnant... I`m pregnant again Sam", she sobs. And now, she knows it's the happy kind of tears, because during her cold shower, where she was able to clear her head, she decided that this was a good thing. Having another one of Sam Swarek's offspring was always good., and she is happy.

"Your...", is what he manages to say. To Sam`s defense, he did not see this one coming. Not in a very long shot. Of course he knew they would have another kid, just... not yet.

He pulls Andy close, kisses her one, two, three times and is not able to hide his grin anymore.

"I love you".

Sam Swarek was a happy man. Again.

* * *

 **Full Custody**

It`s four in the morning, when Sam is woken up by the vibration from his phone that is currently on the tip of the nightstand.

He grumps a bear looking sound and reads 'Marlo' across the screen. Marlo never calls in the middle of the night, so when she does, he climbs out of bed, carefully so he doesn't wake up his sleeping wife, who has been on three night shifts in a row.

He steps out in the hall and answers the call.

"Marlo, what`s going on? Ava okay?", he ask, worried, and not a clue of what she is about to say.

It`s Marlo week, and Sam is worried that there is something going on. A lot has happened these last seven months. Jamie, Marlo and Ben`s eight year old son died from leukemia just after Christmas, and things has been a hard on them ever since. Ava stayed with him and Andy for a while after that, just too let them grieve in peace, but Marlo insisted that they went back to their original 'every other week and weekend', routine a while back. It`s been fairly okay since then, but he`s always worried. Sam Swarek always worries.

"Sam, I need you to come and get Ava. Please! I can`t do this right now. Ben just left!", she cries silently into the phone.

Sam gathers his voice. "What do you mean left?"

"He said he can`t do it anymore. He went back to Vancouver, and he wants a divorce. Please, come get her!"

"I will, just... don't do anything okay? I`ll be right there!"

He curses, and feels his heartbeat turn up a few notches. He needs to wake up Andy, so he pads back into the bedroom, and bends down towards his wife.

"Andy, sweetheart, wake up", he says, as he gently shakes her arm a little.

"What time is it?", she says back, half asleep.

"It`s four fifteen. Marlo called. Ben just left her, and she says she can't deal with Ava right now. I need to go get her okay. You stay here with the kids. I`ll call you when we`re on our way back".

"What is going on? Is she okay?"

"I... don't know, but I can't let Ava be there with her is she`s not... stable".

"Okay, be safe. I`ll get up".

* * *

When he arrived at Marlo`s house, Ava was safe asleep, but Marlo was a mess. Clothes and bags everywhere and dirty dishes filling the sink. But what caught his attention the most was the empty liquor bottles on the kitchen counter.

"What the hell are you doing Marlo?", he said, as she picked up a bottle of pills. "Are you mixing these with alcohol? With my kid in the house?", he curses.

He doesn't mean to come out this harsh on her, well aware that she has a lot on her mind, but still, there is no excuse.

"I... can't do it anymore. Please just take her with you", Marlo cries.

"Yeah, you bet I will. I`m also going to call your sister, because I`m not leaving you to yourself in the state your in", he says, picking up her phone.

He talks to Ivana Cruz, and they agree that he stays until she gets there.

* * *

Half hour later, they agree that she`ll take her sister home, and tomorrow, Marlo is going to reach out for professional help.

Sam takes Ava home, puts the ten year old to bed, and tries to tell Andy about what he had walked in on at Marlo`s house. He walks back and forth on the kitchen floor, curses and swears, mad, angry and furious that he didn't pick up on this before.

"We`ll apply for full custody Sam. There's no way she`s going back into Marlo`s care. They can't let her. They won't. She is not capable of caring for a child", Andy states.

She was right, as anticipated. They were granted full custody over Ava, and Marlo was admitted to a health care facility.

This was how it was going to be, and they were going to get Ava back into safe grounds and stabile routines.

* * *

 **More?**


	21. Amber Alert

**I`ll continue with the story for a while longer. Thanks to** **TiffD** **, who gave me all these amazing ideas for writing. I promise I`ll do my very best!**

 **Thank you for all the great rewievs :)**

* * *

 **Amber Alert**

 _Summary: when an Amber alert for a missing 6 year old went out one morning, Sam struggles to keep his emotions in check._

* * *

She had seen it on the news, she had talked to Traci on the phone and Oliver had explained it when she drove by the station home from her dad.

She didn`t expect Sam to come home already, and the moment he walked in the door, she pretty much knew the outcome. She didn`t know a lot about the case, but she knew the 6 year old girl had gone missing from _Yorkdale Shopping Centre_ , leaving her mom completely helpless, and if she had been that mother, she wouldn`t have managed to hold it together.

Andy loaded a few meatballs on the plates to the kids who didn`t feed from her still, and complimented them for a job-well-eaten.

The look on her husband from almost six years was both heartbreaking and devastating and made her want to put her arms around him. But he was Sam Swarek, and although she felt she knew her husband pretty well by now, sometimes, she was not one hundred percent sure if that was what he needed the most right now.

Sam stood before the table that was filled with his kids. His babies, that was safe, at home, unharmed and soon with filled up little bellies. He bent down next to every one of the little Swarek's, hugged them and kissed them like his life depended on it. They might not understand his sudden urge to do so, but Andy, she knew. And this was the only thing her husband needed right now.

He gave her a broken smile and looked at her, before he pulled her in. One kiss, then two more before he put his arms around her and looked down at a much awake, but smiling Sarah Grace. He didn`t need to say anything with words, but the way Andy understood that he wanted her to pass Sarah to him, made him fall in love with her all over again.

"You good with these?", he asked nodding his head against his four oldest kids. Two year old Isach in his high chair, Liliana, who just turned four, and the two oldest, Mason, the proudest five year old in the history, because he just started school, and six year old Ava who carried the big sister title like the queen devoted herself to her royal responsibility.

"We`re good", she smiled. "Are you Sam?", she asked looking straight into his eyes.

Letting out a deep breath, he smiled. "I will be. We`ll talk about it later okay? She fed?". Typical Sam, avoiding the obvious. But she knew this was how he dealt with it, and she was going to let him.

She tickled her nine months old daughters chubby cheek and smiled. "About an hour ago. She`s not bathed or anything yet though, she smiled, like she was telling him that he was excused to spend time alone with her.

Sam and Sarah went upstairs, and Andy was left with the other kids. "Raise your hand if your belly is full", she smiled.

"You want more Lil?", she asked, when Liliana was the only one who didn`t raise her hand.

"I didn`t like it mommy".

Andy chuckled. Typical Liliana. She never liked anything, except she did. "You just ate two portions princess, I know you liked it. Nice try. Everyone that is not a grown up, upstairs, it`s bath time, teeth and bed", Andy informed, throwing her fist up in the air, like she just scored a goal in parenting.

* * *

It`s an hour and then some later, when Sam joins her in Sarah`s nursery. The youngest Swarek is safe nestled in her mother arms, and it`s Sam`s most favorite thing to see. Especially tonight.

Sam sits down on the footstool in front of the rocking chair and just watch as his wife feeds their youngest.

"How you holding up?", she ask, covering herself up again, because Sarah _just_ fell asleep in her arms.

"I`m...uh, makes me want to lock the kids up forever. Never let them go out again", he admits, as he watch Andy place Sarah in her crib.

She puts her hand on his chin.

"I made us some tea. Can we just... I really need to tell you about it", is what he says next. Not exactly what Andy was expecting, because Sam usually takes his time wanting to pour his feelings out like this, but she figures this is what he needs right now, and what Sam needs, Sam gets, is more or less her thinking.

* * *

They sat down on coach, tea cup between their hands, and her feet in his lap. "We, uh... got this Amber alert, didn`t even finish parade before it got out... She was six years old Andy... she was just at the mall with her mom, and then... like that, she was gone... The mom was losing it... the camera footage showed this guy, Neil Knowles, a registered child molester, tricking her into going with him when she was playing at the _Captain Bebop's Play land_.".

Sam put his tea down and pulled his wife closer. He needed her closer. " His car ended up on the footage too, we tracked him down, ended up at this dilapidated shed of a cabin in a up in Caledon Hills...We searched the shed, but nothing. Then he came home, and he understood that he was losing, so he showed us where he buried her..."

Sam Swarek was on the verge of crying.

"He... he was proud of the things he had done to her Andy...I`m not going to tell you what he did, because I think you have a fair idea... It... was bad. Makes me wonder why I do this job, when I have to give a death notification regarding a six year old girl... Ava is six! We have three other girls, and I swear, I want to keep them inside forever, if this is what could happen to them! I have done a lot of cases like this, but never like this", he says, voice half broken and a little embarrasst over the fact that he`s a grown man crying.

So, he stands up, and starts to walk out of the living room.

"Sam, don`t walk away, just..."

"I'm not... I need to see the kids"

He didn`t care if it was after ten.. He needed to see his kids now.

Andy get`s it, she absolutely does. So, she let him go upstairs alone. Figures that is what he needs too.

* * *

When he`s not back after almost fifteen minutes, she heads upstairs. Finds him against the wall outside Liliana`s room. He looks... tired, which is completely understandable after almost eighteen hours on a case like this. Broken, lost and like he doesn`t know what to do with all the raging emotions he`s feeling right now.

"Hey...", she says, low, and soft voice, as she stands next to him. "They`re safe, asleep and home... with us, but we can stand here as long as you want", she assured. But he didn`t say anything. She was unsecure.

"Or, I can... go...if that`s what-"

"No. Don`t go. Never go. I just need to make sure..."

So she lets him.

She lets him take his time, lets him deal with this the way he needs to, and later when they creep under the covers, all tangled together and clinging like their life is at stake, she isn't, at all surprised when he embraces her and cries. And she is so grateful, that he can finally let his walls down, letting go of his emotions and allow himself to be vulnerable in front of her.


	22. Vasectomy You

**Vasectomy you**

* * *

 _Summary:_ _Andy is seven months into her fourth and what needs to be her last pregnancy, when she decides that they need to start working on a permanent birth control solution. She has one particular idea, and she broaches Sam with the subject of him getting a Vasectomy._

* * *

It`s after her monthly check up, that she begins to get ideas in her head. She rubs her belly and thinks it`s pretty clear that birth control in form of pills, does nothing to her, when two out of four kids was conceived while she religiously was taking them.

There is always the Implanon type, but she has read all these stories about woman getting pregnant despite it, and it comes out along with the baby, so she figures that is not an option. The shot type gave her migraine in her teens, and that is not something she wants to put herself through again. It`s actually worse than childbirth itself, and since that it's the one thing she tries to avoid after this one, that too is out of question.

She and Sam have never used condoms, and it's not something she wants to include into their marriage at all, she thinks as she types something in the search field on Google.

That`s when the word Vasectomy pops up.

Vasectomy, vasectomy... she tries the word a few times. She scrolls down the page and reads the main section. It doesn't sound comfortable at all.

But she likes the idea of them going at it like crazy without having to worry about her ending up pregnant for a fifth, sixth, seventh, tenth time. It wouldn`t hurt to ease it on the field for Sam though.

It could actually work here is the thing. It`s all about how you lay it out for him. She knows her man pretty well by now, and decides to give it try later.

* * *

She walks in, and leans her pregnant body against the doorframe to the kitchen.

"You want me to make you something?",he ask, like that is why she came in the first place.

"Uh, no. I...actually wanted to talk to you about something", she ends up saying. But a part of her already regrets it. She has no idea of how he`s going to react to it, and she thinks that maybe, she`s crossing some sort of line with this subject.

"You`re not pregnant again are you?", he jokes, pushing a few buttons on the full loaded dishwasher.

"Ha, funny... not more than I already am... but, uh, that`s kind of what I wanted to talk about", she says, and knows that's her opening line.

She pulls out a chair and rest her tired feet on a second one. " This is the last one Sam, and we both know what effect birth control pills has on me... so, I have done some research"., she states, accepting the glass of orange juice Sam hands her.

"That so? And I suppose you have some sort of plan?". He eyes her, not knowing where this one is going.

"I... read about... Vasectomy", is what she ends up telling him.

He quirks both eyebrows up, and is close from choking on his beer. "Vasectomy? As in snipping my...like shutting off my sperm? Is that what you're proposing?"

It hits her then. "I... it didn`t sound that harsh when I first thought about it, I swear".

"Okay... but let me get this straight... You want me to tie up and seal my seminal stream? for good?

Andy then shrugged her entire body. Suddenly the whole idea of him shutting off his stream seemed sad and not at all what she was trying to accomplish in the first place. She felt something put pressure on her eyelids, and was left feeling like the most horrible wife in history for even bringing it up.

She got to her feet. "I`m sorry!", she apologized as she left the kitchen in a hurry.

"Andy! Please don`t leave!", Sam called after her.

Without any response he went upstairs after her. He got where she was coming from with this, he really did. But doing a vasectomy, was like the final call. It would mean that every chance of having another child was shot down, and although they _had_ agreed that Sarah was their last baby, the thought of making this kind of decision as a final one, was pretty hard to swallow.

He found her in what was going to be the nursery. All pregnant woman emotional and tear stains down her cheeks. He placed his hand on her lower back. "Andy. I...just let me think about it okay?"

She turned towards him, hand gripping the crib that would soon hold a sleeping baby. Eyes pleading and really trying to apologize in a hundred different ways for asking him to shut off his production skill.

"No, I`m sorry for even bringing it up. Forget I said anything okay?". With that she left the room again. Because she could barely managed to face her husband for both suggesting a vasectomy and for the fact that at this point, the thought of this baby being the last one wasn`t at all what she wanted now. Maybe it was her hormones, or maybe it was because she really, really wanted another one.

"Sweetheart, wait a minute. Don`t just walk away okay? I think we should talk about it. Clearly, we`re not finished talking it through...Why are you suddenly avoiding it Andy?"

It`s then, that she turns around, hands up like she settles into a defense mechanism. "Because if this happens... it's like we close off the option of ever having another one completely. I`m barely 33 and I`m not ready to make that decision yet okay?", she blurts out.

"Okay, then we`ll figure out something else... okay?" he assures, taking her face in his hands. "We don`t have to make that decision yet. We have plenty of time. But uh... I do like the idea of having that option open", Sam smiles as he pulls her into his arms.

And that`s all they need to know for now.


	23. Repeating History

**Repeating History**

* * *

 _Summary: Isach comes home for a weekend from college. He just broke up with his high school sweetheart, but he realizes soon that he regret his stupid choice. Will spending time with his dad knock some sense into him? Sam tells his son all about how he was a idiot all those years ago with his mom. Will Isach fight for his girl like his dad did?_

* * *

"He`s here!", Andy yells from the living room. She has been waiting for what seems like an eternity for Isach to come home from Vancouver. He`s been busy her boy. Barely have time to talk with her on the phone, and hasn`t been home since February. That`s over two months, and her mother heart has been aching for a month and twenty nine days.

Of course, she has their two youngest girls Sarah Grace and Sophia still living at home, but there is just something about the excitement over seeing one of the kids after this long.

She knows she will most definitely beg him to move back to Toronto after college, just like their other kids did, because Andy wants' her kids as close as possible, even if half of their pack is adults with a fiancé, boyfriends, girlfriends, jobs and a baby on the way!

Yeah, that`s also happening. Ava is only two months from giving birth, and Andy couldn`t be more excited to be a grandmother. That boggles her. A grandmother!

"Girls! Dad and Isach is home! Come say hi!", Andy tries again.

She hears the front door open, and closes her eyes when she hears the dark, yet safe voice of her youngest son. Her boy is home.

"Hey mom", Isach smiles as his mom comes into the hallway to greet him. She pulls him into a smothering hug and kisses his hair.

"It`s so good to have you home kiddo. I hope you`re hungry. You look skinny. You eating properly?"

"Sweetheart!", Sam interrupted. "Let him make it past the hallway before you smoother him yeah?"

"Sorry! I`ll put your bag in your room kiddo. Sarah? Sophia? Get downstairs! Isach is home!", she calls as she heads upstairs.

Sam and Isach look at each other and smiles. "She`s been going at it ever since you said you were coming home. She... yeah, you know how your mother is", Sam laughed.

"How`s class going?"

"Good. Lot of stuff to go through, uh... hard work, but you know... That`s what I signed up for", Isach assured his dad.

Medical was hard stuff. But it was what his son wanted for himself. And having a son that would be a doctor, made Sam both proud and grateful. When raising their kids, Sam and Andy always taught them that education was important. If you wanted something for yourself, providing yourself with a good life, education was the first step.

At this point, Ava was the only one that was finished with her education. Going straight from high school and becoming a nurse, was her main goal. After a year on the job she was preparing for maternity leave. That made Sam proud too. And it boggles him. It`s _that_ surreal.

Mason and Liliana ended up following in their parents footsteps, and being on their second and third year in the police academy, they would soon work alongside their parents. If Andy got her way.

"You seem off son. Everything okay? You're not in trouble are you?", Sam asked. Worried face and interrogating voice, like he was questioning his son.

"No dad. I`m not in trouble. I... -"

"Can`t believe you actually showed up oh dear brother", Sophia said as she came downstairs with her older sister in tow.

"Hi girls. Thought I should make time to check up on you guys", Isach said back, hugging them both at the same time.

"They giving you guys trouble?", he asked jokingly at his parents.

Sam chuckled. "Nothing your mom and I can`t handle".

* * *

Sam had sensed something was off with his son. He didn`t want to tell Andy, because she would go crazy and probably try to smother the kid even more, but there was definitely something on Isach`s mind that he was struggling with.

That made Sam struggle too, and it`s probably why he was wide awake at five in the morning.

He scanned his mind, and a minute later he found himself quietly padding down the hallway towards Isach`s room.

"Hey, Isach, wake up buds", Sam whispered as he dragged the covers from his son`s sleepy head.

"Dad, it`s five in the morning".

"Exactly. Now, get up, we`re leaving early. Downstairs in ten, and uh... don`t wake up the rest of the house", Sam instructed before he left the room.

* * *

"What is going on? Why are we leaving this early? And where is the rest of this crazy family?", Isach asked, which earned him one of dad`s quirked eyebrow.

"You and I are leaving early. Mom and your sisters are driving up later. Now, get in the car. We`ll eat breakfast once we get there. Buckle up!".

Isach couldn`t wait to see where this was going.

* * *

"Ah, here we are. Why don`t you take our bags inside and I`ll make us coffee?", Sam suggested as he got out of the car.

"Here", Sam said as he came up besides his son with two mugs of coffee in hand.

"Thanks dad. You, uh, told mom we left early?",Isach questioned.

"Yeah", Sam chuckled. "Wouldn`t want her to freak out or anything. You know that's the one of the good things about our marriage. Your mom and I know each other pretty well, and it`s all the little things that make it so great".

"I bet".

"So, uh... your lousy mood have anything to do with Shay?"

Isach looked at his dad. "How did you guess that?"

"You`re my son. I know you and it`s my job to know these things. So, you done something stupid?"

"I might have... I broke it off a few days ago."

"Why? I though you guys were solid?", Sam acknowledge.

"We were. We are... it`s just... she`s... School is a lot and I don`t-"

"Isach... look, I know you have a demanding study field and it takes a lot from you, but as a former idiot, who ended things with mom back in the days... trust me when I say this. If you want it fixed, you do it now before it`s too late. I almost lost your mom, and that would be the end of me, I swear...So, whatever you did or said to her, undo them and make it right, okay?"

"You only get one chance, so don`t screw it up. Don`t be the same idiot I was and please don`t repeat history".

The smile on his son's face, gave Sam the idea that he had knocked _some_ sense into the kids head.

"Thanks dad. I, uh, need to make a phone call".

"Take your time son".

* * *

 **FIN!**


End file.
